Slow Cooked Beef & Ale Stew
Perfect for the cooler spring evenings, close the lid of your BBQ and let it sit there for several hours. Using different ales will give different flavours. Searing the meat is important as this helps with the colour, and deglazing the pan after you have sautéed the vegetables, scraping up all the gnarly bits from the bottom of the pan, will add extra flavour too.
Ingredients
SERVES 6 as a side dish
800g stewing steak
2 large onions, diced
2 large carrots, diced
Half a small swede, diced
3 celery stalks, diced
3 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tbsp tomato puree
500ml of your favourite ale
500ml beef stock
1 tsp dried thyme
2 bay leaves
Salt and pepper
2 tbsp plain flour
Olive oil
Method
1. Set up your BBQ for direct cooking and you’ll need a heavy-based deep pan with a lid.
2. Put the flour into a bowl and season well with salt, pepper and add in the dried thyme.
3. Trim the beef if needed and cut into even pieces. Add them to the flour and coat well.
4. Place your deep pan onto the grill and pour in a good glug of oil. Once hot, sear the meat. You’ll need to do this in two or three batches. Overcrowding the pan will steam, not sear the meat and you won’t get as much flavour nor colour.
5. Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon and place in a dish for later.
6. In the same pan, tip in the chopped vegetables including the garlic and sauté for 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally. You might need to add a little more oil.
7. Pour in the ale and ensure you get all the bits from the bottom of the pan.
8. Place the seared meat and the juices back into the pan and give it a good stir. Add in the tomato puree, beef stock and bay leaves. Give it another good stir.
9. Change your BBQ to indirect cooking and you’re looking for a temperature of about 140ºC. Place the lid on the pan, close the lid of the BBQ and let it tick away for at least three hours.
10.If you wish the sauce to be a bit thicker, leave the lid off for another half hour or so, stirring occasionally until the liquid has evaporated some more and will leave you with a thicker sauce. Remember to remove the bay leaves.
11.Check for seasoning. Serve with jacket potatoes and seasonal greens, or mash, rice or crusty bread.
More Recipes Ideas from Sue Stoneman
Method
1. Set up your BBQ for direct cooking and you’ll need a heavy-based deep pan with a lid.
2. Put the flour into a bowl and season well with salt, pepper and add in the dried thyme.
3. Trim the beef if needed and cut into even pieces. Add them to the flour and coat well.
4. Place your deep pan onto the grill and pour in a good glug of oil. Once hot, sear the meat. You’ll need to do this in two or three batches. Overcrowding the pan will steam, not sear the meat and you won’t get as much flavour nor colour.
5. Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon and place in a dish for later.
6. In the same pan, tip in the chopped vegetables including the garlic and sauté for 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally. You might need to add a little more oil.
7. Pour in the ale and ensure you get all the bits from the bottom of the pan.
8. Place the seared meat and the juices back into the pan and give it a good stir. Add in the tomato puree, beef stock and bay leaves. Give it another good stir.
9. Change your BBQ to indirect cooking and you’re looking for a temperature of about 140ºC. Place the lid on the pan, close the lid of the BBQ and let it tick away for at least three hours.
10.If you wish the sauce to be a bit thicker, leave the lid off for another half hour or so, stirring occasionally until the liquid has evaporated some more and will leave you with a thicker sauce. Remember to remove the bay leaves.
11.Check for seasoning. Serve with jacket potatoes and seasonal greens, or mash, rice or crusty bread.
