Gordon Ramsay’s Steak and Guinness Pie Recipe: A Proper Comfort Food Classic

Let’s talk about a proper meal. Nothing fancy. Nothing fussy. Just something solid, warming, and packed with real flavour. That’s what Gordon Ramsay’s Steak and Guinness Pie brings to the table.

This isn’t your average stew-with-pastry kind of dish. It’s rich. It’s bold. It’s got bite. And when done right, it tastes like something you’d get at a proper pub on a cold evening.

But folks often mess it up. Not because it’s hard, but because they miss the little things that make a big difference.

Where Most People Slip Up

You don’t need to be a chef to get this right, but you’ve got to respect the process. Ramsay doesn’t just throw things in a pan and hope for the best.

First mistake: weak browning

This isn’t optional. If you just half-cook the meat, your pie will taste flat. That deep brown crust you get when searing? That’s your flavour base.

Second mistake: too much liquid too fast

It’s not beef soup. Guinness is meant to reduce and cling to the meat. It’s a glaze, not a bath.

What Ramsay Gets Right

Three things stand out:

• Shallots instead of regular onions for a hint of sweetness
• Tomato purée for richness
• Letting the filling cool before putting the pastry on top

These small touches take the dish from decent to memorable.

What You’ll Need

Let’s start with the ingredients. No surprises here. Just quality stuff that works.

For the filling:

• 750 g braising steak (chuck or skirt is best)
• 4 tbsp plain flour
• Salt and black pepper
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp tomato purée
• 500 ml Guinness (yes, the real stuff)
• 350 g shallots, peeled
• 2 garlic cloves, smashed
• A few sprigs of thyme
• 2 bay leaves

For the crust:

• 500 g shortcrust pastry (store-bought is fine if it’s butter-based)
• 1 egg yolk + 1 tbsp water (for brushing)

Let’s Get Cooking

You’re not just tossing stuff into a pot here. Follow each step. You’ll thank yourself later.

Prep the beef

Take your beef chunks and coat them in flour, salt, and pepper. This helps thicken the sauce later, so don’t skip it.

Brown the meat

Heat half the oil in a large pan. Medium-high heat. Drop in the beef—but not all at once. If the pan’s crowded, it steams. That’s not what you want.

Sear the meat in batches until it’s properly brown. Not pale. Not grey. You want a real crust.

Once each batch is browned, take it out and set it aside.

Build the base

Add the rest of the oil to the pan. Stir in the tomato purée. Let it darken for a bit—about 30 to 60 seconds. This step adds a deeper flavour.

Add the Guinness

Pour the Guinness in. Let it bubble. Scrape the bottom of the pan to pull up all those dark bits. That’s where the taste is hiding.

Let it simmer and reduce a bit. You’re not making a soup.

Add it all together

Bring the beef back into the pot. Add the shallots, garlic, thyme, and bay. Hit it with another pinch of salt and a few cracks of pepper.

Cover and cook on low heat for about 1.5 hours. Check on it now and then. You want the sauce to be thick and shiny—not runny.

Let it cool

Once it’s cooked, let the filling cool down a bit. Don’t skip this step. If it’s too hot, the pastry will get soggy and weird. That’s the last thing you want after doing all this work.

Time to Make It a Pie

• Preheat your oven to 200°C (400°F). Grab a deep pie dish.
• Spoon in the filling. Not too full—leave some room at the top.
• Roll out your pastry and place it on top. Press down the edges. Seal them well. You can crimp if you’re feeling fancy, but the main thing is that the lid stays in place.
• Brush the top with the egg wash. This makes it golden and crisp.
• Cut a small slit in the centre. It helps steam escape.

Bake

Slide it into the oven for 20 to 25 minutes. Keep an eye on it. Once the top’s golden and it smells like heaven, take it out.

Let it rest for 5 to 10 minutes before you dig in. The filling thickens, the pastry sets, and the whole thing gets better with a short pause.

Serving Suggestions

This pie is bold. It doesn’t need a lot of sides.

A scoop of mashed potatoes and some green beans or peas is more than enough. You don’t need gravy. The pie has plenty going on already.

A Few Notes

• Don’t rush the browning. It really matters.
• Use Guinness, not any old beer. Sweet porters won’t give the same result.
• Shortcrust works better than puff. It holds the filling better and doesn’t soak up too much sauce.
• Store-bought pastry is fine. Just get the one with real butter.

Final Thoughts

Gordon Ramsay’s steak and Guinness pie isn’t just tasty—it’s proper food. No tricks, no fancy methods, just solid ingredients coming together in the right way.

Whether it’s your first time making a pie or your fiftieth, this one won’t disappoint. Try it on a weekend when you have a couple of hours free. The smell alone is worth the wait.

And hey, even if it doesn’t look perfect, don’t stress. That flaky, golden top and tender meat underneath will more than make up for it.