Beef and Guinness Pie

By
Elaine Lemm
Elaine Lemm
Elaine Lemm
Elaine Lemm is a renowned British food writer, classically trained chef, teacher, and author with over 25 years of experience writing about British food and cooking.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 10/8/22
Beef and Guinness Pie with a large slice cut out

The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

Prep: 20 mins
Cook: 2 hrs 30 mins
Coolin: 30 mins
Total: 3 hrs 20 mins
Servings: 4 servings
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
1172 Calories
73g Fat
42g Carbs
73g Protein
Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories 1172
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 73g 94%
Saturated Fat 34g 172%
Cholesterol 337mg 112%
Sodium 621mg 27%
Total Carbohydrate 42g 15%
Dietary Fiber 3g 9%
Total Sugars 7g
Protein 73g
Vitamin C 5mg 24%
Calcium 90mg 7%
Iron 9mg 50%
Potassium 1050mg 22%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Beef and Guinness Pie brings together Irish beef and Guinness, two of Ireland's most famous products. The long slow cooking of the filling creates not just perfectly tender beef, it also allows the flavor of the Guinness to permeate the meat and the vegetables and produce a thick, luscious sauce.

Perfect for sopping up the gravy, serve this pie with crusty homemade bread, Irish soda bread, or a side of mashed potatoes or colcannon.

Reprinted with permission from Angela Boggiano's cookbook Pie, this Beef and Guinness pie is absolutely delicious, and although it takes a bit of time to make, it is something you will want to serve again and again.

Ingredients

For the Pastry:

  • 7 ounces (200 g) all-purpose flour

  • 1 pinch kosher salt

  • 4 ounces (110 g) unsalted butter, cubed, or an equal mix of butter and lard

  • 2 to 3 tablespoons cold water

For the Pie:

  • 1 ounce (25 g) all-purpose flour

  • Kosher salt, to taste

  • Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

  • 2 pounds (907 g) chuck steak, cut into 1-inch cubes

  • 1 ounce (25 g) unsalted butter

  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

  • 2 large onions, thinly sliced

  • 2 large carrots, cut into 1-inch cubes

  • 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

  • 2 teaspoons tomato puree

  • 2 1/8 cups (500 ml) Guinness, or other stout beer

  • 1 1/4 cups (300 m) hot beef stock

  • 2 teaspoons granulated sugar

  • 2 tablespoons water

  • 1 large egg, beaten

Steps to Make It

Make the Pastry

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Beef and Guinness pie dough ingredients gathered

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

  2. In a large bowl, add the flour, salt, and butter.

    Flour, salt, and butter in a ceramic bowl

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

  3. With your fingers or a pastry blender, work the butter into the flour until it is the texture of fine breadcrumbs. Work as quickly as possible to avoid warming the dough.

    Butter worked into flour in a ceramic bowl for pie crust

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

  4. Add 2 tablespoons of very cold water, stirring it into the dough using a cold knife until it binds together and can be formed into a ball. If it becomes too dry, add more water 1 teaspoon at a time.

    Cold water added to pastry dough with a knife

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

  5. Wrap the ball of dough in plastic wrap. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 15 minutes, or up to 30 minutes.

    Ball of pie dough rolled up and wrapped in plastic wrap

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

Make the Beef and Guinness Pie

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Beef and Guinness Pie Recipe ingredients

    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  2. In a large bowl, place the flour and it season with salt and ground black pepper.

    Flour, salt, and pepper in a glass bowl

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

  3. Add the cubes of meat and toss well in the flour until evenly coated.

    Cubed steak in a glass bowl tossed with flour

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

  4. In a large, heavy-based, flameproof casserole dish, heat the butter and oil until the butter has melted. Add the meat to the fat in small batches and brown quickly all over for just a minute, then remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.

    Beef cooking in a large casserole dish with butter and oil

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

  5. Add the onions and carrots to the pan and fry gently for about 2 minutes.

    Onions and carrots in a casserole dish

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

  6. Return the meat to the pan, and add the Worcestershire sauce, tomato puree, Guinness, hot beef stock, and sugar. Grind in plenty of black pepper and a little salt, stir well and bring to the boil.

    Beef, onions and carrots cooking with Guinness in a casserole dish

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

  7. Cover, reduce to a gentle simmer, and cook slowly for about 2 hours until the meat is tender and the sauce has thickened and is glossy.

    Beef and Guinness pie filling simmering in a casserole pot

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

  8. Remove from the heat, place into a 2 1/2-pint (1 1/2-liter) deep pie dish, and leave to cool completely.

    Beef and Guinness pie filling in a bowl

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

  9. Heat the oven to 400 F/200 C/Gas 6. Roll out the pastry to 1/8-inch / 3-millimeter thick. Cut a 3/4-inch / 2-centimeter strip from the rolled-out pastry.

    Pie dough cut into strips on a marble board

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

  10. Brush the rim of the pie dish with water and place the pastry strip around the rim, pressing it down.

    Beef and Guinness filling in casserole dish with pastry dough strip rimmed around the edge

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

  11. Cut out the remaining pastry about 1-inch / 2 1/2 centimeters larger than the pie dish.

    Pie dough rolled out into a circle

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

  12. Place a pie funnel (also called a pie bird) in the center of the filling; it will support the pastry and stop it from sinking into the filling and becoming soggy.

    Pie funnel/pie bird in the center of a beef and Guinness pie

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

  13. Place the pastry lid over the top and press down to the edge and seal. Trim off any excess pastry and crimp the edges with a fork or between your thumb and forefinger.

    Pastry lid on top of pie bird in a beef and Guinness pie

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

  14. Brush the top with the beaten egg and make a hole in the center to reveal the pie funnel. You can also decorate the top of the pie with pastry trimmings as you like.

    Pastry top brushed with beaten egg

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

  15. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes until the pastry is crisp and golden.

    Beef and Guinness pie baked and resting on a white marble board

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

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