STOUT BRAISED BEEF AND POTATO POT PIE
Recipe
Slow cooked meltingly tender meat topped with creamy mash is one the most comforting meals around on a cold winter’s day. Serve with a crunchy fresh salad like the winter green slaw recipe.
Remove the meat from the refrigerator 20 minutes before cooking. Pre-heat the oven to 150°C (130°C fan-forced).
Cut the beef into 4cm chunks. Season with salt and a grind of pepper. Heat the oil in a medium-sized, heavy-based casserole dish over a high heat. Add a third of the beef, cook for about 2 minutes until browned and turn over to cook other side. Transfer to a plate and cook the remaining beef in two more batches. Set plate of meat aside.
Reduce the heat to medium. Add the onions and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally until just softened. Add the carrot and celery and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lightly golden. Return the meat to the pot. Sprinkle over the flour and paprika, stir to combine and cook for a minute. Pour in the Worcestershire sauce, stock and stout, bring to the boil, then remove from the heat. Stir in the tomato paste, orange peel, thyme and bay leaves. Cover the surface with a piece of baking paper then with a tight-fitting lid and transfer to the oven. Cook for 3 hours or until the beef is very tender and breaks up easily with a fork. Discard the thyme sprigs and bay leaves. Season with salt and a grind of pepper.
Meanwhile to make the mash potato, place potatoes in a large saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring to the boil over a high heat and cook until tender, about 20 minutes. Drain the potatoes and return to the pan. Add the cream and butter and mash until smooth (for extra creamy mash pass the potatoes through a mouli first).
Season with salt and grinding of pepper, to taste.
Increase the oven temperature to 200°C (180°C fan-forced). When ready to serve, transfer the cooked meat to a deep sided 1.5 litre capacity baking dish (alternatively use the same pot holding the cooked meat). Top with the potato and spread to cover the surface. Bake until golden brown and the sauce is bubbling around the edges, about 15-20 minutes.
NOTE: The braised beef can be made up to 3 days ahead, cooled and stored in an airtight container in the fridge. To serve, reheat covered in a medium saucepan over a medium heat.
Ingredients
1kg beef chuck or oyster blade steak
sea salt
black pepper
2 tablespoon olive oil
1 brown onion, finely chopped
1 medium carrot, cut into 2cm dice
2 celery sticks, tough strings removed, cut into 1cm dice
1 tablespoon plain flour
1 tablespoon Spanish smoked paprika
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
500ml (2 cups) beef stock
330ml stout or other dark beer
2 tablespoons tomato paste
peel from 1 orange, pith removed
6 thyme sprigs
2 bay leaves
1kg potatoes, peeled and chopped into roughly 4cm pieces
300ml thickened cream
50g butter, softened
