Ingredients:

  • 2 lbs beef chuck, cut into 1-inch cubes
  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • salt to taste
  • black pepper to taste
  • 2 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 1 large yellow onion, diced
  • 2 medium carrots, sliced into rounds
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 cups beef stock
  • 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
  • 1 whole bay leaf
  • 1 sheet puff pastry (17 oz)
  • 1 large egg, beaten

Instructions:

  1. Toss the beef cubes in flour, salt, and pepper until coated.
  2. Heat vegetable oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Brown the beef in batches until deep mahogany-colored; remove meat from the pot.
  3. In the same pot, sauté diced onions and carrots until softened (about 5 minutes), then stir in minced garlic for 1 minute.
  4. Return beef to the pot. Stir in beef stock and Worcestershire sauce, scraping the bottom to release the brown bits (fond). Add thyme and bay leaf.
  5. Lower heat to a simmer, cover, and cook for 2 to 2.5 hours until the meat is tender and the gravy has thickened.
  6. Transfer the filling into a 9-inch deep-dish pie plate. Let it cool to room temperature or chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
  7. Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Drape the puff pastry over the dish, trimming edges to fit and pressing them against the rim to seal.
  8. Brush the top of the pastry generously with the beaten egg.
  9. Bake for 20–25 minutes until the pastry has risen and is golden brown.