Beef And Caramelized Onion Pies - cooking recipe

Ingredients

2 medium red onions, peeled
2 tbsp olive oil
3 tbsp firmly packed brown sugar
1 cup beer
2 cloves garlic, crushed
7 oz button mushrooms, thinly sliced
3 sprigs fresh thyme
1 lb ground beef
1/4 cup tomato paste
2 tsp fresh thyme leaves
1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed and quartered
1 None egg, lightly beaten

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 400\u00b0F.
Slice the onions thinly into rings, reserving four intact small ring slices. Heat half the oil in a large skillet on medium-high heat. Cook the remaining onion, stirring, until soft. Add 2 tbsp of the sugar and 1/4 cup of the beer; cook, stirring occasionally, for about 10 mins until the onion caramelizes. Remove from the skillet.
Heat the remaining oil in same skillet on medium-high heat. Cook the garlic, mushrooms and thyme sprigs until soft. Add the beef and cook, stirring, until browned. Add the paste and the remaining 3/4 cup beer. Simmer, uncovered, for about 10 mins or until thickened slightly. Stir in the caramelized onion and thyme leaves and season to taste. Discard the thyme sprigs.
Spoon the mixture into four 1-cup baking dishes. Top each with pastry and brush with egg. Top with reserved onion slices and sprinkle with remaining 1 tbsp sugar. Press onion gently into center of pastry. Place dishes on a baking pan.
Bake for about 20 mins or until the pastry is puffed and browned.