Beef, Ale and Black Garlic Pie

This recipe was inspired by Serious Eats' Beef, Ale and Marmite Pie.

This meal is hearty and delicious, perfect for a chilly winter day. It'll warm you to the core exactly how you need it to, and lull you into a sleep as deep as a hibernating bear. Which really is the dream when all you want to do is curl up in front of the fire for a nap anyway.

Enjoy!

Prep Time: 40 mins | Total Time: 4 hours | Servings: 4

Ingredients

• 1 pound beef chuck, cut into 1 1/2- to 2-inch cubes

• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

• 1 medium onion, finely chopped (about 1 cup)

• 1 medium carrot finely chopped (about 3/4 cup)

• 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh thyme leaves

• 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary leaves

• 10 ounces button mushrooms, sliced

• 1 cup ale

• 1 cup homemade beef or store-bought low sodium chicken stock

• 1 tablespoon Black Garlic Puree

• 1 pound frozen puff pastry, thawed

• 1 egg, beaten

Directions

1. Season beef with salt and pepper. Heat vegetable oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat until lightly smoking. Add half of beef and cook, turning occasionally, until browned on all sides, about 8 minutes. Remove from pot, reheat oil, and repeat with remaining beef. Remove beef from pot and add onion, carrot, thyme, rosemary, and mushrooms, and cook, stirring until onions are translucent and mushrooms have released their liquid, about 8 minutes.

2. Return meat to pot and add ale, stock, and Black Garlic Puree. Bring to a boil, reduce to a bare simmer, cover, and cook until meat is tender, about 2 hours. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer to a container to cool. Cooled filling can be refrigerated in a covered container for up to three days before assembling.

3. Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat to 400°F. Cut puff pastry in half. Roll each half into a 1/4-inch thick square large enough to be draped into a 9-inch pie pan. Transfer one half to pie pan. Place the cooled meat filling in the pie shell, brush the edges with beaten egg and place the remaining pastry over filling, trimming any bits of pastry that fall over the edges of the pie dish and pinch the edges gently with your fingers to seal.

4. Cut a few steam vents in the top of the pie and brush with beaten egg, bake in preheated oven until pastry is golden brown, about 50 minutes. Allow pie to cool for 15 minutes before slicing and serving.