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Guinness steak bakes
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Guinness Steak Bakes

These Guinness steak bakes make for a next level lunch! Crisp & flaky with a rich, slow cooked beef filling. They're a belter!
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time3 hours 20 minutes
Total Time3 hours 50 minutes
Course: Dinner, Lunch, Snack
Cuisine: English, Irish
Servings: 12 Bakes
Author: Ben Racey

Equipment

  • Large Saucepan
  • Microplane/Grater
  • Large Baking Tray
  • Ruler

Ingredients

Steak Filling

  • 750 g Braising Steak See Notes
  • 2 tbsp Veg Oil
  • 1 Large White Onion
  • 1 Carrot
  • 3 Cloves Garlic Grated
  • 1 tsp Fresh Rosemary Leaves Finely Chopped
  • 1 tsp Fresh Thyme Leaves Finely Chopped
  • 1 tbsp Tomato Paste
  • 500 ml Guinness
  • 600 ml Beef Stock
  • 2 Bay Leaves
  • 50 g Tomato Ketchup
  • 2 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
  • 2 tbsp Cornflour

To Assemble

  • 4 Sheets Pre Rolled Puff Pastry See Notes
  • 3 Egg Yolks

Instructions

Steak Filling

  • Preheat an oven to 160°c/140°c fan (320°f/284°f).
  • Peel the onion & carrot, finely dice then set aside.
  • Next, trim any sinew from the beef, cut into 1" pieces then season with a good pinch of table salt.
  • Place a large saucepan over a medium heat then add in the veg oil. Leave to warm up for a minute or so then add in half the beef.
  • Fry until seared on all sides then remove from the pan & transfer to a plate. Repeat with the remaining beef.
  • Next, add the diced veg to the pan & cook for 5-10 minutes, until they're just starting to soften.
    If necessary, add in another tbsp of veg oil when frying the veg.
  • Stir in the grated garlic & chopped herbs, cook for 30 seconds then stir in the tomato paste. Cook for another 30 seconds then deglaze the pan with the Guinness.
  • Add the seared beef, beef stock & bay leaves to the pan then bring to a simmer.
  • Season with salt & pepper, cover with a heatproof lid (or foil) then transfer to the preheated oven & cook for 2-3 hours, until the beef is tender & soft.
  • Place the pan of beef over a medium heat, stir in the ketchup & Worcestershire sauce then bring to the boil. In the meantime stir together the cornflour with 3 tbsp of cold water.
  • Stir in the cornflour mix then cook out for 3-4 minutes, stirring regularly.
    Start by adding in half the cornflour then add in more as necessary. If the sauce is looking a little thick, thin it out with a splash of beef stock/water.
  • Check the beef for seasoning, adding more salt & pepper if necessary then transfer to a shallow dish & leave to cool down.
  • Pick out the bay leaves then chill the beef in the fridge until completely cold.
    Give the beef at least an hour in the fridge or up to 2 days.

Assembly

  • Line 2 large baking trays with baking parchment & set aside.
  • Make an egg wash by beating the egg yolks with 3 tsp of cold water & a pinch of table salt.
  • Next, unroll a sheet of puff pastry & cut into 6, 11cm squares.
    I find using a ruler & a pizza cutter/sharp knife works best here.
  • Place 3 of the pastry squares onto a baking tray then place 2 tablespoons of beef into the centre of each, leaving a 1-1½ cm border around each side.
  • Brush the pastry border lightly with egg wash, place another square of pastry on top then press the edges down with your fingers, making sure not to squeeze out any of the filling.
  • Crimp the edges with a fork then if necessary, trim the pastry into a neat square.
  • Repeat with the remaining pastry & filling, making sure to space the bakes at least a couple of cm apart on the baking trays.
  • Brush the top of each steak bake lightly with egg wash then place in the fridge for 30 minutes.
  • In the meantime, preheat an oven to 200°c/180°c fan (392°f/356°f).
  • Brush each pastry with another light coating of egg wash then score the tops with the back of a knife.
  • Bake for 18-20 minutes, until crisp & a deep golden brown.
  • Leave to cool for a couple of minutes then serve.

Notes

1. Aga Cooking - If you're using an Aga, cook the steak bakes on the bottom set of runners in the roasting oven.
2. Steak Cuts - Make sure to use a cut of steak that is suitable for braising/slow cooking. This could be chuck, shin, flank, rump or skirt.
3. Pastry - To make 12 steak bakes, you will need 4 sheets of pastry, each measuring 350mm x 230mm & weighing 320g. I used Jus Rol puff pastry sheets for this recipe. Alternatively you could roll 2 x 500g blocks of puff pastry out to a thickness of 3-4mm & cut 11cm squares from that.
If the pastry gets too warm at any stage when assembling the bakes, pop it back in the fridge for 10 minutes or so.
4. Reheating - The steak bakes are best served immediately, once cooked but can be cooled & stored in the fridge for up to 2 days. To reheat, bake in a 180°c/356°f oven for 10-15 minutes. The internal temperature should be 75°c/167°f.
5. Freezing -  This recipe makes 12 large steak bakes. If you've got any leftover bakes, they can be stored in the freezer.  To freeze, place steak bakes on a baking tray & leave in the freezer overnight. The next day, transfer to an airtight freezer bag & leave in the freezer until you're ready to cook them. Frozen steak bakes should be cooked & eaten within 2 months.
Freeze the steak bakes once they are assembled but before egg washing them.
To cook from frozen, add an extra 5-10 minutes to the cooking time. Alternatively, half the recipe & make 6 bakes!
6. Ketchup - For the best flavour, I'd recommend using Heinz tomato ketchup.