Steak and Guinness pie!!! WOW this was good!

This is a Jamie Oliver recipe and can be readily found online.  

Have I mentioned that I like Ja-liver?

This meal was a build up in my mind.  We saw a show on Cooking Channel

about savory pies.  This one wasn't showcased, but things like cottage pie

and escargot pie got me thinking about Ja-liver's gorgeous S&G pie.

Then as fate would have it the next day Jamie Oliver At Home featured

this meal in his Pastry show.  OK, I give!  I'll make it.

I've done a simple version of this earlier, that although good, wasn't at the level that this rose to.

First thing is to slice 3 onions and saute until slightly brown.  

I used 3 different types, yellow, white and red, for a variety and

slightly sweeter flavor.  Zachary doesn't like onions, so I wasn't confident

he would eat this, and had a backup plan ready, but more about that later.

Ja-liver uses brisket, but I thought that a nice chuck roast would work 

just fine.  I found one with some good fat marbling.  Cut this into inch cubes.

While the onions are cooking, I prepared the rest of the ingredients.

Chopped carrots, celery, baby portabella mushy rooms, sprig of rosemary

and lots of garlic.

Combine all the ingredients in an oven safe pot and then the magic happens.

Pour in the brown greatness that is Guinness, beef stock and a bit of flour to thicken.

You don't want too much liquid, do not put so much in that the beef is covered.

Luckily, there was some leftover Guinness, so the chef had to do some quality control.

<hiccup>

Cook this at 350 for 2 hours in the oven until thick and bubbly.

This makes your house smell AWESOME!!!

I love it when a meal smells up the whole house, it lets people know that

a great meal is on the way.

When ready to transfer, take a handful of white cheddar cheese and 

mix it in.  Another cheese layer will go above the meat sauce, and beneath the top pastry.

This adds so much richness and flavor.  Even if it sounds weird to add cheese...

do it, it really makes a difference.

Using store bought puff pastry, I lined a pie pan with a bottom crust, filled it with

the brown elixer of the gods, and topped it with another puff pastry.

Ja-liver likes to rustically pinch the sides together, and I agree. 

This provides some bites with a thicker pastry taste, and Zachary

loved the "sides" of the pie.

Another 40 minutes and I was drooling over this!!!

When the pie was almost done, I cooked some frozen peas which would be

added on top of the pie as its served.  If you include the peas in the pie, they would 

turn to mush or disappear.  

The plating and photo does justice to how rich, smooth and delicious this was.  

Words cannot properly describe how much we ALL loved this meal.

Zachary scarfed it up, especially the crust.  The onions almost disappeared

and he ate it without hesitation.  Had he known it had onions, he would have not even tried it.

Before we were even done eating, Dutchie proclaimed that I WILL be 

making this again.

But the best thing about this meal is that we had half of it left over for lunch

the next day!!!!!

Mar sin, in onóir lá atá le teacht Phádraig ...

Athair Fothaí a flock le roinnt greatness na hÉireann. 

(So in honor of upcoming St. Patrick's day...

Father Feeds his flock with some Irish greatness.)

Translation from Google, but I'm not sure that looks right