Chunky Beef Pot Pie

First you’ll start by starting the porcini mushrooms. Place porcini mushrooms in a bowl and add the boiling water and let them soak for 30 minutes, minimum. Strain mushrooms and RESERVE the mushroom water. (You’ll be using that later.) Chop the mushrooms roughly.

Sprinkle the sliced beef chunks with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large dutch oven pot over medium heat, when oil is hot place half the beef in the pot and brown on all sides, remove and repeat with remaining beef pieces. Set all cooked beef aside.

Turn stove down to medium low, if theres not enough oil in pan, add more oil. Add onions and garlic, cook for 3 minutes. Add finely chopped carrots and celery, cook for 6 minutes or until soft. Add carrot chunks and cook for 2 minutes.

Add flour and stir to mix. Add ale and beef stock and stir to dissolve the flour.

Add thyme, bay leaves, porcini mushrooms, the reserved porcini mushroom water (do not add any seatmate that’s settled in the bottom of the liquid) and cooked beef. Turn the heat up a little, mix, bring to a simmer, then cover. Adjust the heat so that the mixture stays on a GENTLE simmer. (usually slightly above low.)

Cook at the gentle simmer for 1 hour and 45 minutes, or until beef is tender.

Meanwhile, cook bacon in a skillet over high heat until golden. Remove and reserve the bacon grease in the pan. Add mushrooms and cook for 5 minutes until golden all over. Return bacon to pan with mushrooms and toss to coat.

When the stew is ready, after the 1 hour and 45 minutes, add mushrooms and bacon to the stew. Simmer stew for 15 minutes, uncovered. Remove from stove and cool.

Preheat oven to 400°F. Pour stew in a casserole dish.Top with puff pastry and do a few tucks where needed. Brush pastry with egg YOLK and cut a few slots in the top surface to allow air flow. Bake for 30-35 minutes until a deep golden color is on the puff pastry and the filling is nice and bubbly.