Simple Beef and Guinness Pie Recipe

Just had to share this recipe, it is the BEST meat pie recipe I have ever found - and so surprisingly easy to make, and if you have no pastry it works perfectly with some creamy mashed potato!

Ingredients:
Pack of frying steak
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
2 heaped teaspoons of plain flour
Olive oil
Pack of mixed stewing or soup vegetables for speed (or chop them yourself!)
Pinch of mixed herbs
1 (500ml) bottle of Guinness
1 carton of passata
Roll of ready made pastry - either puff or shortcrust or both depending on preference!
1 egg, beaten or milk (to brown top)

Preparation:
 1. Mix beef with olive oil, salt and pepper, and flour until coated and then fry meat in a casserole dish until brown.
 2. Add the vegetable pack fry for a minute or two and add herbs
 3. Pour in the Guinness
 4. Add the passata and bring to the boil. Stir well, then simmer for 2 hours or until the meat is tender.
 5. By now the sauce should be nice and thick with an intensely tasty flavour. Season if required.
 6. To make the pies, preheat the oven to about 200 degrees.
 7. Line a pie dish with short crust pastry and pour the mixture into the dish
 8. Cover the top with either shortcrust or puff pastry and pinch the top and bottom together.
 9. Slice lines into the top of the pie with a sharp knife, and brush the top with the egg or milk. Use leftover pastry to create a heart design on top if you are a fancy pants like me! ;)
10. Put in oven for about 30- 45 minutes until golden and bubbling.
11. Dig in! ;)

Alternatively, make Cornish pasty style pies with no pie dish using either puff or shortcrust - yum :)