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Total Time:
2 hrs 55 mins
- 900 g beef cheeks
- 4 Tbsp. plain flour, plus extra to dust
- 2 1/2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
- 500 ml beef stock
- 225 g small shallots, peeled
- 200 g chestnut mushrooms, quartered
- 3 medium carrots, roughly chopped
- 3 medium parsnips, roughly chopped
- Small handful thyme sprigs
- 400 ml Guinness
- 500 g block puff pastry
- 1 medium egg, beaten
- Step 1Dry beef with kitchen paper, then cut into 2.5cm pieces (removing tough gristle or sinew). Put into a bowl and toss through flour. Heat some oil in a large heavy-based pan or casserole (that has a lid) over medium-high heat and brown the beef well – do this in batches using 2tbsp of the oil as needed. Set beef aside in a bowl. Add some stock to the pan, then scrape the base with a wooden spoon to pick up the sticky bits. Add mixture to the browned beef.
- Step 2Return pan to low-medium heat and add ½tbsp oil and the shallots, mushrooms, carrots and parsnips. Fry for 10min until veg begins to soften. Return beef to pan (with any liquid), add thyme, Guinness and remaining stock. Bring to the boil, lower heat, cover and simmer for 1½hr or until beef is tender, removing lid for the final 20min (stirring and scraping bottom of pan or casserole frequently) to thicken the sauce.
- Step 3When beef is tender, remove thyme stalks and check seasoning. Divide among 6 individual pie dishes (each about 450ml), or one 2 litre one. Set aside to cool.
- Step 4Preheat oven to 200°C (180°C fan) mark 6. Lightly dust a work surface with flour and roll out pastry to 3-5mm thick. Brush rims of pie dishes with egg. Cut out lids and crimp on to dishes – rerolling trimmings as needed. Brush with egg. If you like, reroll any further trimmings and use to decorate (remember to glaze decorations with egg). Cut small steam holes into the centre of each pastry lid.
- Step 5Cook for 30-35min until pastry is deep golden. Serve.
To more easily peel shallots, cover with boiling water and leave for 1min. Drain, cool and peel.
Per serving:
- Calories: 726
- Protein: 48g
- Fat: 34g
- Sat fat: 17g
- Carbs: 51g
- Sugars: 10g
- Fibre: 6g
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The GH Kitchen Team are Good Housekeeping’s resident recipe developers and all-round food obsessives. GH Kitchen Director Sarah Akhurst is our resident hosting pro and loves nothing more than putting on a foodie feast for friends. Our GH Kitchen Manager Linzi Pucino is our very own Italian food expert (originally hailing from the North East of Scotland!) and can be found working her way through midweek recipes that cover all bases, from haggis to ragu! Our Kitchen Editor Nadine Brown loves digging into the stories behind her favourite foods and enjoys applying her eclectic tastes to more modern, flavour-forward recipes - just don't give her too much chilli! Our Junior Food Content Produce Frankie Prichard combines a love of beautiful presentation and flavour-led, seasonal cooking in her recipe development, along with a passion for bringing people together through food. With a wealth of professional kitchen experience between them, they’re dedicated to ensuring every Good Housekeeping recipe is the best it can be, so you can trust they’ll work every single time
