Bowl of Beef, Braised in Brown Ale
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Beef, Braised in Brown Ale


England - West Country
Serves:
Effort:
Sched:
DoAhead:  		 3 main
***
2-1/2 hrs
Yes		 A very beefy stew with plenty of sauce, sure to please carnivores. It is quite intense, so usually served with plenty of Cheddar Cheese Dumplings, though smashed potatoes would work well too.




1-1/2
10
1
1
3-1/2
1
1/8
12
1/2
1/3
------
#
oz
T
T
t
t
t
oz
t
t
---
Beef (1)
Onions
Beef Tallow (2)
Beef Tallow (more)  
Flour
Sugar, Brown (3)
Cinnamon
Brown Ale
Salt
Pepper
-- Serve With
Dumplings (4)  

There's plenty of time to do the dumplings while the beef simmers.

Prep   -   (20 min)
  1. Trim BEEF of excess fat and cut into cubes about 1-1/2 inch on a side.
  2. Quarter ONIONS lengthwise and slice thin crosswise.
Run   -   (2 hrs)
  1. Heat 1 T Tallow in a heavy bottomed coverable pan (a 3-1/2 quart sauté pan works very well) and fry Onions over moderate heat, stirring often until soft but not at all browned. Remove from the pan and set aside, leaving as much fat as you can.
  2. Stir in another 1 T Tallow, then the Beef. Fry tumbling over high heat until lightly browned on all sides. Sprinkle on the Flour and fry stirring over moderate heat 1 minute more.
  3. Stir in Ale, Sugar and Cinnamon. Stir the Onions back in, then Salt and Pepper. Cover and simmer over low heat, stirring now and then, until Beef is tender (See Note-5). This will be 1-1/4 to 1-3/4 hours depending on cut. If it is getting too dry, add some water - resist the urge to add more ale as it will increase the bitterness.
  4. Serve with Cheddar Cheese Dumplings (or smashed potatoes if you can't manage the dumplings).
NOTES:

  1. Beef:

      Weight is boneless and with excess fat removed. I prefer chuck for better flavor and faster cooking, but round will do fine too.

  2. Beef Tallow:

      This is rendered beef fat (the cow equivalent of lard). It is nowhere near as unhealthy as the trans fats and polyunsaturated oils the AHA told you to use instead - but if you really must, you can use Pure Olive Oil (not virgin). For details see our Suet / Tallow page.

  3. Brown Sugar:

      As readers of this site may have noticed, I avoid sugar wherever possible. In this case it is not possible, as it is needed to counter the bitterness of the ale (more obvious in cooking than in drinking).

  4. Cheddar Cheese Dumplings:

      These are traditional, and easy to make - see our recipe Cheddar Cheese Dumplings.

  5. Method:

      In England, this would be done in the oven (they seem to do almost everything in the oven), but in Sunny Southern California we don't fire up an oven unless we really need to. The pattern recipe calls for placing the Onions in a casserole after they are translucent, then placing the Beef and all other ingredients over them. This goes covered into a 350°F/180°C oven for 1/2 hour, then at 325°F/125°C for another 1-1/2 hours. When the beef is tender, the dumplings would be placed on top, the casserole returned to the oven, but uncovered, until the dumplings rise (20 to 30 minutes).
  6. U.S. measure: t=teaspoon, T=Tablespoon, c=cup, qt=quart, oz=ounce, #=pound, cl=clove in=inch, ar=as required tt=to taste
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