Beef & Guinness Pie

Preheat oven to 350ºF.

Pat beef dry. Preheat oven to 350ºF. Pat beef dry. Stir together flour, salt, and pepper in a shallow dish. Add beef, turning to coat, then shake off excess and transfer to a plate.

Heat oil in a wide 5-6 quart ovenproof heavy pot or deep iron skillet over moderately high heat until just smoking, then brown meat in 2 to 3 batches, turning occasionally, about 5 minutes per batch. Transfer browned meat to a bowl and set aside. After meat is browned, add the butter to the pan and melt.

Add mushrooms and onions to the melted butter in the pan and saute until onions are translucent and mushrooms are lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Quickly mix together tomato paste and 1/2 cup beef broth; set aside.

Add garlic to the pan and saute lightly until an aroma develops. Stir in beef with any juices accumulated in bowl, remaining beef broth and tomato paste mixture, stirring to combine.

Stir in beer, Worcestershire sauce and thyme leaves and bring to a simmer, then cover and transfer to the oven. Braise until beef is very tender and sauce thickened, about 1 1/2 hours.

Cool stew completely, uncovered, about 30 minutes. (If stew is warm while assembling pies, it will melt the uncooked pastry top.) Put a shallow baking pan on the middle rack of the oven and increase oven temp to 425ºF.

Divide cooled stew among bowls (they won’t be completely full). Roll out pastry dough on a lightly floured surface with a lightly floured rolling pin into a 13-inch square, about 1/8 inch thick. Trim edges and cut dough into quarters. Stir together egg and water and brush a 1-inch border of egg wash around each square. Invert 1 square over each bowl and drape, pressing sides lightly to help adhere. Brush pastry tops with some of the remaining egg wash.

Bake pies in a preheated shallow baking pan until pastry is puffed and golden brown, about 20 minutes. Reduce oven temp to 400ºF and bake 5 minutes more to fully cook dough.

Note: Stew (without pastry) can be made 2 days ahead, cooled completely, and chilled, covered. Bring to room temp before using.

Makes 8 main-course servings.