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Guinness Pie

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Ingredients
  

  • 5 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 2 kg Irish beef short ribs or 1kg best Irish stewing steak
  • 4 large carrots; 2 roughly chopped and 2 cut into 1cm cubes
  • 4 onions; 2 chopped and 2 thinly sliced
  • 1 leek sliced
  • ½ bunch of thyme
  • 1 tsp peppercorns
  • 1 head of garlic halved
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 440 ml Guinness
  • 2 litres beef stock
  • 50 ml Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tbsp brown sugar
  • Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • For the mash:
  • 4 large Maris Piper potatoes peeled and chopped
  • 50 g butter
  • 100 ml milk
  • 50 ml double cream
  • 100 g mature Irish Cheddar cheese grated
  • Sea salt

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 150°C/Gas mark 2.
  • Pour 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil onto a large roasting tray and place over a high heat until the oil is smoking.
  • Generously season the ribs with salt and pepper and sear and colour until golden brown, remove from the roasting tray and drain in a colander (cook these in batches to avoid crowding the pan).
  • Heat a further 2 tablespoons of oil in the same roasting tray, then add the roughly chopped carrots and onions, leeks, thyme, peppercorns, garlic and bay leaves.
  • Cook for 10–12 minutes until the veg is nicely soft and browned.
  • Pour the Guinness into the pan and leave to reduce by half (around 5 minutes), then return the ribs to the tray and barely cover with beef stock and Worcestershire sauce. Cover with foil and place in the oven for around 4½ hours, turning every hour until the meat is tender and is falling off the bone.
  • Carefully remove all the meat and bones from the pan and set to one side. Pass the cooking liquid through a fine sieve and pour into a clean pan.
  • Place on a medium heat and bring to the boil.
  • Skim and reduce by half (around 20 minutes; this should give you around 750ml).
  • Allow the ribs to cool, then pick off all the meat, shred and chop finely into a large bowl.
  • Place a saucepan over a medium heat, add a tablespoon of vegetable oil and then the sliced onions, sprinkle over a tablespoon of brown sugar and caramelise for 10–15 minutes. Add in the cubed carrots and cook for a further 8 minutes until slightly softened, stirring occasionally.
  • Add the caramelised onions and carrots to the bowl of meat, then combine with the reduced cooking liquor.
  • Season, then place the mixture into either individual dishes or one large dish. Leave to one side and allow to cool.
  • Increase the oven temperature to 190°C/Gas mark 5.
  • Place the chopped potatoes in a large saucepan, cover with cold water, season with salt and bring to the boil.
  • Cook until tender, then drain thoroughly in a colander.
  • Place back in the saucepan over a low heat, add the butter, milk and double cream and season with salt, then mash together.
  • Place in a piping bag and pipe on top of the cottage pies (alternatively, just spoon on carefully and fluff up with a fork).
  • Sprinkle the grated cheese over the top.
  • Place in the oven and cook for 15–20 minutes until golden brown.
  • Garnish with spare rib bones (optional).