Instant Pot Beef and Ale Pie Filling

It’s pie week here. Not only were there chicken pies for Pi Day, but I decided to make beef and Guinness pies for St Patrick’s Day. I do not claim that it’s authentic, just as I do not pretend that my soda bread is strictly traditional. We don’t really celebrate St Patrick’s Day anyway, it is more of an excuse to eat good food that has some connection to a different place. 

This recipe is a mash-up of two I found, one from Daring Gourmet which was meant for the stove top, and one from Simply Recipes that took the guesswork out of converting the recipe to the Instant Pot. It’s full of ingredients full in glumates that boost the beefy flavor and despite the long list of instructions it’s fairly simple. The Instant Pot shines in this sort of recipe. 

It makes a huge quantity so I’ll have more than enough for dinner for four for two nights as well as some for the freezer. I will either make, bake and freeze individual pies or I’ll freeze the filling by itself and then top with mashed potatoes or garlicky breadcrumbs.

I used Guinness this time but I do think I would actually prefer a brown or red ale instead. Use what tastes best to you from the can or bottle.

INGREDIENTS

2 lb beef stew meat (I got this ready-cut from Green Bow Farm but can always cut your own)

1/3 c all-purpose flour

Salt and pepper to taste

6 oz bacon cut into small pieces—we always have lardons of pepper bacon in the freezer so I used that

1 TBSP oil

1 onion, chopped

3-5 cloves garlic, minced or put through a press

1 TBSP tomato paste (a good squirt from a squeezy tube is what I did)

1 TBSP (approx) pulverized porcini mushrooms (I ground to a powder in a coffee grinder)

1 c stout or ale

1 1/2 c beef stock

2 large carrots cut into half-moons

4-5 medium potatoes (I used Yukon gold) cut into a small-medium dice

1 10-ounce bag frozen riced cauliflower (or maybe half a head of cauliflower you rice yourself)

Smoked paprika, balsamic vinegar or other flavor enhancers as needed to finish

DIRECTIONS

1. Prepare the beef by cutting into 1 inch chunks (or so) if needed. Put in a dish and sprinkle with a generous amount of salt and pepper and the flour. If I had patted my beef dry the flour would have been less of a paste on it but I don’t think it really mattered that much. Set the beef aside
2. Turn a 5 or 6 qt Instant Pot onto Sauté mode. I just use the medium setting and add the bacon. Cook until the fat is rendered and the bacon is crisp, then remove the bacon and set aside
3. Add about 1/3 of the beef chunks and fry on several sides until it is seared then remove and add the next third, continuing until all the beef is seared and removed from the pot. You should have a pretty thick, crusty layer on the bottom of the Instant Pot and this is a good thing
4. Leaving the Instant Pot on Sauté mode, add the oil and then the onion and sauté until it has softened, then add the garlic and cook a minute or two until it is fragrant
5. Add the tomato paste and cook another minute, then sprinkle in the porcini powder
6. Pour in the ale and deglaze the Instant Pot. You might want to turn the heat up to high for this part. You want some of the ale to evaporate but not all of it
7. Add the beef and bacon back into the pot, then pour in the beef stock
8. Turn off sauté mode, put the lid on the Instant Pot and use the Meat/Stew setting for 30 minutes at high pressure. I haven’t forgotten the veg! We’ll add it later so it doesn’t get mushy
9. Once the beef has cooked for 30 minutes, release the pressure and add the carrots and potatoes. Put the lid back on and either use Meat/Stew or Manual for an additional 3-4 minutes at high pressure
10. When the cooking time is up, let the pressure drop naturally (about 10 minutes) and then open the lid and stir in the cauliflower. The residual heat is more than enough to cook it
11. Taste and adjust to your preference. Good flavor balancers include smoked paprika, balsamic vinegar and regular or mushroom soy sauce
12. Cool the stew to room temperature and then refrigerate
13. Once it’s cold, you are ready to put it into pie shells or put in a dish and top with potatoes or breadcrumbs or whatever you fancy