1

Heat the avocado oil in a large dutch oven over medium-high heat.

2

Season the beef with ½ tsp of salt and pepper. Sear in the dutch oven for two to three minutes on each side or until all sides are nicely browned. Work in batches if needed. Remove the beef from the dutch oven and set it aside.

3

In the same dutch oven, add the onion, garlic, minced carrots, minced celery, and minced mushroom and saute until softened, about five to seven minutes. Add the beef back to the dutch oven.

4

Add the rest of the carrots and celery to the dutch oven, along with the bay leaves, thyme and ¼ cup of flour. Then add the broth, stout, and water. Mix well and bring to a low simmer. Cover and let cook for two hours or until the beef is tender. Let cool while you assemble the crust and remove the bay leaves.

5

In a food processor, pulse the remaining flour, butter, baking powder, and salt until a dough starts to form that looks shaggy. Add water as needed by the ¼ tsp and pulse to bring the dough together. Otherwise, form a ball, flatten it into a disk and wrap it in plastic. Refrigerate the dough for at least 30 minutes.

6

Preheat the oven to 425 ℉ and pour the stew into a pie dish so it comes to the top. The crust will sit on top of this stew, so it must fill the dish. Alternatively, you can use single-serving ramekins or as many casserole dishes as you like to accommodate the filling.

7

Roll out the dough and place it on top of the pie dish. Brush the dough with the egg and bake for 15 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 350℉ and bake for 30 minutes until the filling bubbles out from under the crust and the crust is golden brown.

8

Let cool for five to 10 minutes before serving. Enjoy!