Cooking with Beer: Beef Stew

By Ben Mims
For Cooking Newbie, a blog for beginner cooks

I’m an avid beer drinker, so I always have more than a few brands and styles hanging around my house at any given time. This sometimes becomes problematic when I have a lot available to drink but don’t have the time or desire to drink them all before they go bad.

My solution is one of my favorite recipes: a beef stew cooked in beer. Beer adds dimension and depth to the beef and fits perfectly in this time of year. Plus, it gets rid of some of that extra beer.

I love to add beer to stews, to chili, and even as a marinade for kebabs. I particularly love heffeweizen, a TK-style of wheat beer, which is typically sweeter than other beers and balances spiciness in curries or chili. But for this stew, I like a pleasantly hoppy ale or lager; something that will enhance the beef, not overpower it with bitterness.

Other than the addition of beer, this is a fairly straightforward stew recipe, so once you get the hang of making it, you can swap out the liquid and flavorings to suit your taste. It’s a great one-pot dish that you can make ahead, since it gets better with an overnight rest in the fridge. Utilize this recipe to use up any beer that, shy of an impromptu frat party, you’ll never be able to drink in time.

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Beer and Beef Stew
Serves 4

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1-1/2 pounds beef chuck, cut into 1-1/2-inch cubes
Salt and ground pepper, to taste
1 small onion, chopped
1 medium carrot, chopped
2 ribs celery, chopped
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 can (15 ounces) fire-roasted, crushed tomatoes
1 bottle or can (12 ounces) lager or ale-style beer
1-1/2 cups water
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 tablespoon thinly sliced parsley

1. Heat oil in a large heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Season beef with salt and pepper and add to pot; cook, turning as needed, until browned all over, about 12 minutes. Using tongs, transfer beef to a bowl and set aside.
2. Add onion, carrot, celery and garlic to pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 10 to 12 minutes. Add tomato paste and cook, stirring often, until lightly caramelized, about 2 minutes. Add canned tomatoes, beer, water, bay leaf, and thyme and stir until evenly combined.
3. Return beef and its juices to pot, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, and cover with lid, leaving it slightly open at one edge. Cook, checking every half hour and stirring, until beef is tender and liquid is reduced, about 2 hours and 15 to 30 minutes. Sprinkle with parsley, and serve hot with mashed potatoes or rice, and peas.

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Comments

[Aria James]

Hi Mims, thanks for your recipe of beef stew, I will do that direction. Here at my question is that, would I use any other liquid instead of beer? Will it create a lucid distinction in flavor or anything else?