1- Start by soaking 20 g of dried porcini mushrooms in 1 ¼ cups of boiled water for at least 30 minutes, then reserve the liquid after straining it to keep things smooth. Next, season and brown 1 kg of chuck beef cubes in 1 to 2 tbsp of vegetable oil until they’re nicely seared, then set them aside for later.

2- In the same pot, sauté 1 finely chopped onion, 2 minced garlic cloves, 1 finely chopped celery stalk, and 1 finely chopped carrot until they soften and release their aromas. Stir in 1/3 cup of flour to create a base, then add 300 ml of dark ale, 2 cups of beef stock, the soaked porcini mushrooms, the strained soaking liquid, 3 sprigs of thyme or 1 tsp dried thyme, and 2 bay leaves. Return the beef to the pot and let it simmer gently for about 1 hour and 45 minutes until the meat is tender and flavors blend.

3- Meanwhile, cook 200 g of diced bacon until golden, remove it, and use the drippings to sauté 300-400 g of Swiss brown mushrooms until they’re golden too. Mix the bacon and mushrooms back into the stew and simmer uncovered for another 15 minutes, then cool the mixture. For the pie assembly, preheat your oven to 200°C (390°F), pour the stew into a pie dish, top it with 1 to 2 sheets of puff pastry, brush with 1 egg yolk, and cut slits for steam.

4- Baking takes 30-35 minutes until the pastry is deep golden and the filling bubbles hot rest it for 5 minutes before serving.