Mini steak & Guinness pies

MAKES 12

The Guinness gives the beef the most wonderful rich flavour, plus it’s very good for you!

100g lardons or bacon pieces Splash of olive oil

750g beef rump (or use chuck, blade, gravy beef), cut into 2cm cubes

2 onions, finely diced

2 garlic cloves, crushed

2 carrots, finely diced

3 level tbsp flour

150ml beef or vegetable stock

350ml Guinness or other

dark stout

1 tbsp dried thyme

2 bay leaves

½ tsp salt and grind of pepper 2-3 sheets flaky pastry

1 cup mashed potatoes

1 cup cooked peas, roughly smashed with salt and pepper

Plum or tomato sauce, to serve

1 In a heavy-bottomed large saucepan, fry the lardons in the oil until browned. Remove to a plate.

2 Brown the beef cubes in batches, then set aside.

3 In the same pan, fry the onions and garlic until soft, then add the carrots. Return the lardons and beef, except the liquids, back to the pan. Sprinkle over the flour, stirring well, then add stock, Guinness, thyme, bay leaves and seasoning. Simmer with the lid on for about 1 hour or until the meat is tender. Try not to stir too much as you don’t want the meat to break up. Cool completely before filling pies.

4 Preheat oven to 180°C.

Place an oven tray in to heat. Grease a 12-hole muffin tin.

5 Line each hole with pastry. Spoon in the filling to threequarters full. Top some with pastry lids (seal the edges) and some with mashed potatoes. Bake for 25 minutes until the pastry is golden brown and cooked through.

6 Serve with smashed peas and plum or tomato sauce.