Beef and Stout Stew/Pie

This is a classic winter dinner that we enjoyed on New Year's Day. It is a time consuming recipe, but I was surprised by how simple it was. The Guinness added wonderful flavor, and we liked the stew consistency. I named it a stew/pie because I think you could even skip adding the crust and enjoy it on its own. The leftovers provided us another dinner and a few lunches. As we are about to enter a major snowstorm, I am wishing I had the ingredients to make this again. It will certainly be making another appearance on our winter menu plans. I found this version of the recipe on My Adventures in Food and it is originally from Williams Sonoma.

You will need:
*about 6 Tbs. olive oil
*1 lb. white button mushrooms, quartered
*2 cups frozen pearl onions, thawed
*salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
*3 1/2 lb. beef chuck roast, cut into 1-inch cubes (I used 3lbs)
*1 cup all-purpose flour
*3 garlic cloves, minced
*2 tablespoons tomato paste
*2 1/2 cups Irish stout (Guinness)
*1 cup beef broth
*1 lb. carrots, cut into chunks
*1 lb. red potatoes, cut into chunks
*1 Tbs. finely chopped fresh thyme
*One 16-inch round Stilton pastry (recipe below)
*1 egg, beaten with 1 tsp. water

1. In a 5 1/2-quart Dutch oven over medium-high heat, warm 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add the mushrooms, onions, salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, about 12 minutes. Transfer to a bowl.

2. Season the cubed beef with salt and pepper. Dredge the beef in the flour, shaking off the excess.

3. In the Dutch oven over medium-high heat, warm 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Add about 1/3 of the beef and brown on all sides, about 7 minutes total. Transfer to a separate bowl. Add 1/2 cup water to the pot, stirring to scrape up the browned bits. Pour the liquid into a separate bowl. Repeat the process 2 more times, using 2 tablespoons oil to brown each batch of beef and deglazing the pot with 1/2 cup water after each batch.

4. Return the pot to medium-high heat. Add the garlic and tomato paste and cook, stirring constantly, for 30 seconds. Add the beef, stout, broth and reserved liquid, stirring to scrape the bottom of the pan. Then add the mushrooms, onions, carrots, potatoes and thyme and bring mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the beef and vegetables are tender, about 3 hours.

5. Preheat an oven to 400°F.

6. Brush the rim of the pot with water. Lay the pastry strips on top (from recipe below), allowing it to droop onto the filling. Trim the dough, leaving a 1-inch overhang, and crimp to seal. Brush the pastry with the egg mixture. Bake for 30 minutes. Let the potpie rest for 15 minutes before serving.

For the Stilton pastry topping, you will need:
*1 pre-made pie crust
*4 oz. stilton or other pungent cheese, crumbled (gorgonzola)

1. Unroll pie crust on a lightly floured surface. Sprinkle the cheese over half of the dough, then fold the other half over the cheese. Roll out the dough to a 1/8 inch thickness. Cut into 1” strips.