This Guinness Braised Beef Pot Pie features tender chunks of beef brisket braised in a rich stout beer sauce with mushrooms, carrots, and aromatic herbs, all encased in a flaky sour cream pie crust. Perfect for a comforting and hearty meal, this dish combines the deep flavors of Guinness with a golden baked crust for a classic Irish-inspired dinner.
Total Time:3 hours 15 minutes
Yield:6 servings
Ingredients
For the Sour Cream Pie Crust:
1-¼ cups (150 grams) all-purpose flour
½ cup (113 grams) cold salted butter, diced
⅓ cup (80 grams) sour cream
For Guinness and Beef Filling:
1 tablespoon high-heat oil
2 pounds beef brisket or boneless chuck roast, cut into 1-inch pieces
8 ounces button or baby bella mushrooms, cleaned and quartered
4 medium to large carrots, peeled and sliced on the diagonal
1 large onion, diced
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
3 garlic cloves, minced
1-½ teaspoons (5 grams) coarse kosher salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 cups beef broth
11 ounces stout beer (such as Guinness)
1 tablespoon turbinado or brown sugar
Egg wash (1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water, for brushing)
Instructions
Make the Pie Crust: In a large bowl, combine the flour and diced butter. Toss to coat and work the butter into the flour using a pastry blender or fingers until the mixture looks shaggy, with some pieces the size of marbles. Make a well in the center and add sour cream, mixing it in with a spatula. Knead the dough a few times until it forms one ball. Shape into a disk, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or preferably overnight.
Braise the Beef: Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle. Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Brown beef pieces in batches, then set aside. Lower heat to medium; cook mushrooms until softened and liquid evaporates, about 8 minutes. Add carrots and onions, cooking 8 minutes until softened. Stir in flour, tomato paste, thyme, garlic, salt, and pepper; cook 30 seconds until tomato paste darkens. Deglaze with beef broth, stout, and sugar, scraping browned bits. Return beef to pot; bring to a boil, cover with lid, and transfer to oven. Braise until meat is tender and sauce thickened, 1½ to 2 hours. Adjust seasoning and thin with water if sauce is too salty or thick. Cool filling to room temperature, then refrigerate at least 2 hours or overnight.
Assemble and Bake: Preheat oven to 400°F with rack in lowest position. Place six 8-ounce ramekins on a sheet pan. Roll pastry thin and cut circles to cover ramekin tops. Divide filling among ramekins, top each with a pastry circle, brush with egg wash, and cut slits for steam to escape. Bake on lowest rack until crust is golden, 30-35 minutes. Cool on wire rack for 5-10 minutes before serving.
Notes
Use well-chilled butter for a flaky crust.
Brisket or chuck roast both work well, select cuts with some marbling.
Allow filling to chill completely for easier assembly and thicker filling.
Egg wash helps achieve a beautiful golden crust.
Slits in the crust allow steam to vent preventing sogginess.
Leftover pie can be refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for longer storage.
