Beef & Blessed Ale Stew

Serves 6-8 / Prep 30 mins / Cook 150 mins

Ingredients

2 tbsp olive oil
1.5 kg braising beef, beef chuck , or boneless short-rib
2 minced garlic cloves
2 onions , chopped (brown, white or yellow)
200g bacon lardons
3 tbsp flour
660ml (two bottles) Tynt Meadow Trappist Ale
2 tbsp tomato paste
750ml chicken/beef stock/broth
3 carrots , peeled and cut into 1/2″ thick pieces
3 celery stalks , cut into 1″ pieces
3 bay leaves and 3 sprigs thyme, tied into a Bouquet Garni. If you don’t have, just use a teaspoon of dried thyme and rosemary
Salt and black pepper

Method

1. Cut the beef into 2″ chunks. The bigger the better – the beef shrinks when it is seared. Pat dry then season with some salt.
2. Heat 2 Tbsp oil in a casserole pot over high heat. Add beef in three separate batches (don’t crowd your pot – or the beef will steam, rather than sear) and then brown well all over; 2 minutes each side. Remove onto plate. Repeat with remaining beef. Set aside.
3. Lower hob to medium-low. Add another tablespoon oil.
4. Cook garlic and onion for 3 minutes until translucent, then add lardons and cook until browned off (about three more minutes). Don’t burn your onions or garlic – translucent is what we are going for, not caramelised.
5. Stir through carrot and celery. Add flour, and cook for one more minute. This cooks off the flour, which makes it easier to absorb into the liquid and prevents chunks of flour floating around in your stew.
6. Add both bottles of Tynt Meadow, chicken broth/stock and tomato paste. Mix well to dissolve flour then add bouquet garni. Open an extra Tynt Meadow. This one is for yourself. You deserve it. Be careful when adding the Tynt Meadow – when the temp comes up to a roiling boil (as it starts to bubble), the ale can get a bit excited and want to bubble over. Don’t we all.
7. Return beef into the pot . Liquid level should cover everything that is cooking – if not, add more stock.
8. Cover, lower heat so it is bubbling gently. Cook for 2 hours then check beef for tenderness. There’s no magic for this. Eat some – if its not soft and delicious, cook longer. Remove lid then simmer for a further 30 – 45 minutes or until the beef falls apart at a touch and the sauce has thickened up slightly.
9. Remove bouquet garni and season to taste.
10. Serve with creamy mash and Tynt Meadow. If you’d like some green stuff for balance, either steam some tenderstem broccoli for the side or buy green placemats.

Notes

In the highly unlikely event of leftovers, Blessed Ale Pies…

1. Reheat to a slow simmer.
2. In a separate bowl, add 5 Tbsp plain flour to 10 Tbsp stew sauce. Whisk fervently until no flour is left, add back to main stew pot.
3. We need to thicken the sauce for pies so it becomes more of a gravy style.
4. Once thickened to your liking, add to pie dish. Let cool for 10 minutes.
5. Cover with Puff Pastry, pricking all over with a fork.
6. Baste with egg for golden deliciousness.
7. Bake for 35 minutes at 180c.

Submitted by Darius Frazer, Winchester