Stews are such a great meal – they’re hearty, filling, warming and they can be just set off and left to bubble away for a few hours while you go about your day. There’s virtually no limit to what you can put into a stew, but I’ve gone for a classic combination of Beef and Ale which I don’t think could be any easier to make. The brilliant thing about this stew is that the flavours will vary depending on the ale you use – I went for a hopped lager which gave a lighter, fruitier flavour, but if you could also use something a bit darker like a stout or porter which will also work brilliantly.
Beef and Ale Stew
Print RecipeIngredients
- 500g Stewing Steak
- 6 x Chantenay Carrots
- 6 x New Potatoes, halved
- 2 x Large Leeks
- 4 x Garlic Cloves
- 500ml Ale
- 500ml Beef Stock
- 2 tsp Sea Salt
- 2 tsp Black Pepper
- 2 tsp Dried Sage
- 2 tsp Dried Thyme
- 2 tsp Dried Rosemary
- 2 tbsp Plain Flour
- 2tbsp Olive Oil
Instructions
Place a large saucepan over a high heat, and add a tablespoon of the olive oil.
Add the beef into the pan and add the flour, salt, pepper, and dried herbs and cook for a few minutes until the beef has browned and the seasoned flour has cooked out a bit. Remove from the pan and leave to one side.
Top and tail the leeks, and remove the outer layer to make sure they're clean, then chop into approximately 1 - 2" chunks, and then chop the new potatoes in half.
Turn the heat down to a medium-high, and add another tablespoon of oil to the saucepan, and cook the leeks for a couple of minutes to soften slightly and gain a little colour.
Now add in the beef back into the pan along new potatoes and whole Chantenay carrots.
Add the beef stock and ale to the pan, and bring up to a boil and then lower the heat to bring it back down to a gentle simmer.
Place the lid on the pan and leave to simmer away for a 2½ hours, giving it a gentle stir every half hour or so.
Remove the lid and simmer for half an hour more to allow the sauce to reduce and thicken slightly.
Serve piping hot with your favourite bread or roll.
