Brewdog Five AM Steak Pie

I love sitting around a table, tucking into a big hearty dinner with the family. This weekend just past was Gordon's birthday and he had made a special request for my steak pie for Sunday dinner. It was just the two of us but I went a bit OTT and made enough to feed the 5000! The recipe is actually my Dad's but I adapted it a bit and used Gordon's favourite craft beer brand, Brewdog. Making the pie is actually really simple and hassle free but it looks impressive and is full of flavour, thanks to the Five AM Red Ale.

You'll need...

500g lean stewing steak

2 bottles Brewdog Five AM Red Ale (or any other ale of your choice!)

3 medium carrots

1 large onion

200g button mushrooms

1 beef stock cube

1 pack Jus Roll puff pastry

You can serve it with any veg and sides you like, but I rustled up a feast of brussels sprouts, crispy roast potatoes cooked in traditional goose fat, good old Paxo sage and onion stuffing and some redcurrant jelly. If you're feeling fancy you could make your own but I'm a big fat cheat.

Season and brown your meat in the pot first and then chuck in the onions, mushrooms and carrots (all chopped), pour the beer over the lot and stir in the stock cube. Turn the heat down low, put the lid on the pan and go find something else to do for the next few hours. (I prepped my veggies and rustled up a sticky toffee pudding from The Art of Eating Well!) Slow cooking the filling means that your veg will soak up all the flavours from the beer and your meat will literally fall apart.

It should only take a couple of hours but leave it as long as you possibly can. Mine was on for roughly 4 hours, before I took the lid off and allowed it to reduce to a thicker gravy. About 30 minutes before your sides are ready, you can assemble the pie. Let the pastry sit for 5-10mins so it comes up to room temperature. You could always make your own pastry but I'm trying to keep this as quick and easy as possible! Pour the filling into a deep oven proof dish. Roll out the pastry sheet, cut it down to size and pop it on top of your dish. We like a soggy bottom in our house (sorry Mary Berry) so I laid the pastry straight on top of the filling. Gordon got all artistic for me and carved the Brewdog logo out of the leftover pastry - pretty impressive don't ya think?