Short and Stout

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The title would make a great deal more sense if this recipe were for short ribs, which in fact you could use, but I used top round.  While French and Italian—and in the case of Sauerbrauten, German—cooks braise tough cuts of meat in wine to tenderize them and enhance their naturally big flavors, in Ireland and Belgium, beer is more often the cooking liquid of choice.

There are not that many ingredients in this stew, and none of them are exotic, so this is a very approachable dish for a cook of any skill level.  The only trick, if you can call it that, is simply to make sure you brown the meat well since the caramelized juices contribute so much to the dish.

The stew starts with bacon, which adds some depth and a bit of smoky sweetness, but the dish can be made without it and not be lacking. On the other hand, do not omit the carrots even if you prefer not to eat them; their natural sweetness tempers the bitter nature of the beer.

Two last words on ingredients: I used top round simply because it was the best looking piece of meat available in the quantity I wanted, but bottom round and chuck (which are often cheaper) are in fact the better cuts for this stew; they have a bit more fat and connective tissue which keep them moist and add body to the gravy.  If you are using either of those, the gravy might not require as much flour to thicken it, so either reduce the quantity by a tablespoon or so, or thin the finished gravy with  additional broth if required.

I have included an alternate preparation for anyone who would like to make this in a slow cooker—just don’t skip browning the meat or the flour or you’ll have a very different stew. 

Depending on my mood, I serve the stew in bowls over wide noodles tossed with butter, or aside mashed potatoes or Colcannon.  If you go for the latter, add some soda bread and a pot of tea.  Like most stews, this one can be a made a couple days ahead and reheated before serving.

Beef and Stout Stew
Vegetable oil, as needed
1/3 cup flour
4 slices bacon, preferably a naturally-smoked type, chopped into 1/4-inch pieces (more or less)
3 pounds boneless beef—top or bottom round, or chuck, trimmed of excess fat and cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes
Salt and freshly-ground pepper
3 large onions (about 2 pounds), cut in half and sliced into 1/4-inch slices
1 teaspoon sugar
2 cups oatmeal stout, or another very dark beer
1 cup chicken or beef broth
1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
2 bay leaves
1/2 teaspoon crushed rosemary leaves, or 1 small sprig fresh
4 large carrots, scrubbed and cut into 2-inch pieces

Heat a large, deep saute pan or a dutch-oven over medium heat, add the flour and cook, stirring constantly, until is golden brown; remove and set aside in a small bowl. Add the bacon to the pan, stirring occasionally, until it is fairly crisp and the fat has been rendered out.  Scoop the bacon out and set aside on a plate.  Drain most of the fat from the pan, but do not wipe off the brown bits that have formed on the bottom.

Add the meat, in batches, to the pan, season with salt and pepper, and cook until it is well browned on all sides.  Remove to the plate with the bacon and continue with remaining meat, adding vegetable oil as needed.   Add the onions and sugar to the pan and cook until the onions are wilted and begin to take on some color, lowering the heat as necessary to be sure you do not burn the glaze forming on the bottom of the pan.
  
Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Pour the beer into the pan and scrape the bottom with a wooden spoon to remove the brown bits. Stir together the flour and broth until smooth; add to the pan along with all the reserved and remaining ingredients and bring to a boil while stirring it; cover the pot, place in the oven, and bake for about 1 1/2 hours, or until the meat is tender.  Check for seasoning, adding more salt and pepper as needed, and serve.

Serves six to eight

Slow Cooker Variation
Brown the flour, and cook the bacon and beef as described above. De-glaze pan with the beer, add the broth and flour mixture and bring to a boil. Combine in a slow cooker with the remaining and reserved ingredients.

Cook for approximately 4 hours on high, or 8 hours on low, or as suggested by a similar recipe provided by the manufacturer of your particular slow cooker.

 

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Filed under Ireland, beef, meat, winter

Tags: beef and stout stew, beef stew