(I) Guinness Stew Filling (TheSavory)
Ingredients
- 4 slices bacon, cut into small pieces
- 2 1/2 pounds boneless beef chuck, cut into 2-inch pieces
- 1 teaspoon salt, or more to taste
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 2 onions, coarsely chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 (14.9 ounce) can dark beer (such as Guinness(R))
- 1/4 cup tomato paste
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme
- 3 carrots, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 2 stalks celery, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 teaspoon white sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
- 2 1/2 cups chicken stock, or as needed to cover
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
Directions
1. Cook and stir bacon in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat until bacon is browned and crisp, 3 to 4 minutes. Turn off heat and transfer bacon into a large stew pot, reserving bacon fat in the skillet.
2. Season beef chuck cubes generously with 1 teaspoon salt and black pepper to taste. Turn heat to high under skillet and sear beef pieces in the hot fat on both sides until browned, about 5 minutes. Place beef in stew pot with bacon, leaving fat in skillet. Turn heat down to medium; cook and stir onions in the retained fat in the skillet until lightly browned, 5 to 8 minutes; season with a large pinch of salt.
3. Cook garlic with onions until soft, about 1 minute; pour beer into skillet and stir with a wooden spoon, scraping up and dissolving any browned bits of food into the liquid. Pour cooking liquid from skillet into the stew pot. Stir in tomato paste, thyme sprigs, carrots, celery, sugar, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, and enough chicken broth to cover.
4. Bring stew to a gentle simmer, stirring to combine; reduce heat to low and cover pot. Simmer stew until beef is fork-tender, about 2 hours. Stir stew occasionally and skim fat or foam if desired.
5. Remove cover and raise heat to medium-high. Bring stew to a low boil and cook until stew has slightly thickened, 15 to 20 minutes.
6. Add cornstarch and thicken completely.
7. Remove and discard thyme sprigs and adjust salt and pepper to taste.
(2) Rum Peach Filling (TheSweet)
Ingredients
- 12 yellow peaches, about 10 cups, peeled and slice
- 1/2 cup butte
- 5 Tbsp. brown sugar
- 2-3 Tbsp. dark rum
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 2 Tbsp. cornstarch
- 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
Directions
1. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in 5 Tbsp. brown sugar. Add sliced peaches and rum; cook stirring frequently for about 5 minutes. Drain.
2. In a large bowl add the peaches, 1/4 cup brown sugar, cornstarch, and cinnamon and mix well to coat the peaches evenly; set aside.
3. Stir in a heavy sauce pan over medium heat. Peaches have to be totally softened and liquid evaporated to make it into a jammy consistency.
(3) Pasty Dough
Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup shortening (lard)
- 1/2 cup cold water
Directions
1. In a medium bowl, stir together the flour and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Cut in lard with a fork or pastry blender until the mixture resembles bread crumbs. Stir in cold water with a fork until the mixture is able to come together in a ball. Knead a couple of times then divide pastry into two pieces. Pastry may be refrigerated for later use at this time.
2. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
3. On a lightly floured surface, roll out each half of the pastry into a 16-inch circle.
4. Place stew in the left bottom 3/4 of the circle, leaving the right bottom 1/4 for the rum peach jam. Leave a 1/2 inch between the savory and sweet and an inch all the way around at each end uncovered.
5. Place a 14 inch long & 2 inch wide slice of pastry under the edge of the stew and fold over the top long edge to create a barrier between the savory and sweet. Brush the edge with egg yolk. Then fold the top edges over the pastry over the filling, and tuck and pinch the ends.
6. Transfer the two pastries to a greased baking sheet, and cut a few slits in the top of each one for ventilation.
7. Bake for 45 minutes in the preheated oven until golden brown.