Beef and Guinness Pie with Mashed Potatoes Beef and Potato Pie

Preheat the oven to 180°C.

Cut the beef chuck into 2 cm cubes and season with salt and pepper.

Heat the olive oil in a large ovenproof pot over medium-high heat for 1 minute, then brown the beef in batches for 3–4 minutes per batch until deeply browned on all sides. Transfer to a plate.

Reduce heat to medium, add the diced onion and sliced carrots to the pot, and cook for 4–5 minutes until softened. Add the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.

Stir in the flour and tomato paste, cook for 1 minute, then pour in the Guinness and beef broth, scraping up any browned bits. Add the thyme and return the beef to the pot.

Bring to a simmer, cover the pot, and transfer to the oven. Cook for 30 minutes until the beef is tender and the sauce thickens.

While the beef cooks, peel and dice the potatoes into 3 cm chunks. Place in a medium pot, cover with cold salted water, and bring to a boil over high heat. Boil for 12–15 minutes until fork-tender. Drain and return to the pot.

Add the butter and milk to the potatoes, mash until smooth, and season with salt. Stir the frozen peas into the beef filling during the last 5 minutes of cooking. Serve the beef filling topped with mashed potatoes.