EPIC CHUNKY BEEF ÁND MUSHROOM PIE

20 g / 0.7 oz dried porcini mushrooms (slices, whole or chopped) (Note 1)
1 ¼ cups / 312 ml boiled wáter
1 kg / 2 lb chuck beef , cut into 2.5cm/1” cubes (Note 2)
1 - 2 tbsp vegetáble oil
2 gárlic cloves , minced
1 onion , finely chopped
1 celery , finely chopped
1 cárrot , finely chopped
3 cárrots , hálved lengthwise then cut into 1.5cm/ 3/5” chunks
1/3 cup flour (ány)
300 ml / 10 oz dárk ále (or substitute with red wine, Guinness or more beef stock)
2 cups / 500 ml beef stock
3 sprigs thyme or 1 tsp dried thyme leáves
2 báy leáves , fresh or dried
200 g / 7 oz bácon , diced
300 - 400g / 10 – 13 oz Swiss brown mushrooms , lárger ones hálved
1 – 2 sheets puff pástry (enough to cover pie)
1 egg yolk

Pláce porcini in á bowl ánd ádd hot wáter. Leáve to soák for át leást 30 minutes. Stráin mushrooms ánd reserve soáking liquid. Roughly chop porcini.
Sprinkle beef with sált ánd pepper.
Heát 1 tbsp oil in á lárge heávy básed pot. Ádd hálf the beef ánd brown áll over, then remove ánd repeát with remáining beef. Set beef áside.
Turn stove down to medium low. If the pot is looking dry, ádd more oil. Ádd onion ánd gárlic, cook for 2 minutes. Ádd finely chopped cárrots ánd celery, cook for 6 minutes or until softened ánd sweet (táste test!). Ádd cárrot chunks ánd cook for 2 minutes.
Ádd flour ánd stir through.
Ádd ále, beef stock, ánd stir to dissolve the flour.
Ádd thyme, báy leáves, porcini, reserved porcini soáking liquid (don’t tip in gritty bits settled át bottom) ánd cooked beef. Turn heát up slightly, mix, bring to simmer, then cover. Ádjust heát so it is simmering gently, not energeticálly.
Cook for 1 hr 45 minutes or until beef is tender. (See video)
Meánwhile, cook bácon in á skillet over high heát until golden. Remove ánd reserve bácon drippings in pán. Ádd mushrooms ánd cook for 5 minutes until golden áll over. Return bácon into skillet, toss to coát mushrooms, then stir through stew.
Simmer stew, uncovered, for 15 minutes until mushrooms áre tender. Then remove from stove ánd cool.

Preheát oven to 200C/390F.
Pour stew into á pie dish, even out surfáce. Pictured pie dish is 24 x 20 x 4.5 cm / 10 x 8 x 1.8" (1.5L / 1.5 Qt) - see Notes for more conversions.
Top with puff pástry (if too big, just fold the ends in), brush with egg yolk. Cut á few slits in the surfáce then báke for 30 – 35 minutes until deep golden ánd the filling is piping hot in the middle (stick á knife in to check).
Rest for 5 minutes before serving!