St. Patrick’s Day is a great excuse to drink a couple of dark stouts – and to cook with them.
And when you’re not prepared for your average Irish meat pie, Mad Dog is really what you need t take it to the next level.
Surprisingly, this recipe is quite easy, but it does take some time as you’ll want the most delicious and tender beef filling to go with our Guinness and ghost combo. And, you don’t want to take any shortcuts on the time; it’s absolutely perfect the way it is.
And, while you should be able to serve six to eight with this pie, you probably want to double down on the recipe if you’re planning to celebrate the day away.
Fiery or not, people will devour this dish.
Ingredients
1½ pounds Stewing beef, diced
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 heaped tablespoons Flour
2-3 tablespoons Olive oil
1 medium Onion, chopped
2 large Carrots, peeled and chopped
2 large Potatoes, peeled and chopped
1 teaspoon Mad Dog 357 Pure Ghost Hot Sauce
a small handful of fresh thyme leaves
2 cups Guinness stout
1 can (28 oz.) diced tomatoes
1 sheet Short crust pastry, defrosted
1 sheet Puff pastry, defrosted
1 each Egg, beaten
Preparation
Coat the beef pieces with plenty of salt and pepper and the flour. Make sure every piece is covered, but shake off the extra flour and seasonings.
Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a Dutch oven or similar, heavy-bottomed casserole pan. Add the meat and brown it, stirring as needed.
TIP: Don’t put too much meat in at once; it may be better to do this in two batches if your pot has as the smaller bottom.
Add the onion to the pot and cook, stirring, for 1 minute, before adding the carrots, potatoes, and thyme. Then, add the Mad Dog 357 Pure Ghost Hot Sauce and stir everything well to make sure the hot sauce manages to touch all the beef and veggies. Cook for 4 minutes and then add the Guinness and tomatoes.
Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to a simmer. Allow the mix to simmer for 2 hours until the meat becomes super tender and the sauce is quite thick.
When the filling is nearly ready, pre-heat the oven to 375ºF.
Roll out the pastry sheets and line the bottom of a greased pie tin with the short crust pastry. Scoop in the Mad Dog Guinness meat mixture and top with the puff pastry. Press the edges of the two pastry sheets together and trim any excess.
TIP: You can also make smaller pies by using smaller tins, but you may want to start checking on the pies 10 minutes sooner than for a full pie as the internal temperatures will cook the pastries slightly faster.
Brush the top of the pastry with the beaten egg and create a few steam-escape holes near the center of the pie with a fork. Place in the middle of your oven and bake for 45 minutes until the crust is golden.