Beef and beer stew
Beef and beer. Beer and beef. Two of Andrew’s favourite things, apart from me and Ioan, obviously. I think … so what could be wrong with beef cooked in beer? Nothing, I don’t think. Especially when it is cooked low and slow into this delicious beef and beer stew.
Tender beef casserole
Think tender beef, falling apart as you pick it up with your fork, swimming in a rich thick gravy, with chunks of winter vegetables. This beef cooked in beer stew is winter comfort in a bowl. And it’s so simple to make.
Dark beer adds to this delicious stew’s rich gravy
The recipe is another one from From the Markets of Tuscany by Giulia Scarpaleggia, which was a recent Cookbook Challenge (read about another winter warmer, Savoy cabbage and sausages), and is once again full of rustic goodness. I halved the amount of meat in the recipe to 500g as there are only three of us (and one of us is only three!), but kept all other proportions the same, and we each had a generous portion with enough leftover for packed lunch for Andrew the following day.
Beef and beer stew
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 large onion
- 500 g diced beef
- 1 tbsp plain flour
- 400 ml dark beer
- 400 ml beef stock
- 4 carrots
- 2 leeks
- 1 stick celery
- 2 large potatoes
- 1 sprig rosemary
- 1 bayleaf
Instructions
- Fry the diced onion in the oil in a large saucepan until soft.
- Lightly coat the cubed steak in peppered flour and then add it to the pan, stirring gently so that each cube browns all over.
- Add the beer and stir for a couple of minutes until everything is well combined.
- Add the sliced carrots, leak, and celery, and peeled and cubed potatoes, along with the beef stock (I made mine with a beef oxo cube) and herbs.
- Cook covered on a low heat for at least two hours, until the beef is tender enough to be cut with a fork.
- If there is still quite a lot of liquid in the pan, remove the lid and boil rapidly for a few minutes until it reduces to a thick gravy.
- Serve immediately.