Beef Stew with Brown Ale

We recently returned from a vacation in Surfside Beach, SC.  The weather was beautiful, highs in the 80s and lows in the 70s, watching the beautiful sunrises from our balcony.  September is such a nice time to visit the area.  The temperature is just right, no humidity, and the beaches are not crowded.  It was so relaxing, beach, beach, and more beach.  Who could ask for more?  We ate at some fabulous restaurants, and had some very tasty dishes.  I hope to recreate some of the dishes and will be sure to post them on my blog.

How quickly reality set in upon our return.  The temperature difference was about 20 degrees lower.  The first thing I made was my Hearty Roasted Chicken Soup.  Nothing like hot soup to warm the body and mind! 

The temperature still remained cool this past weekend.  To help warm things up a bit, I made my Beef Stew with Beer.  We will probably have it for dinner for about 3 days.  Great way to get out of cooking every night!

The stew is made with a very lean cut of beef chuck shoulder roast.  I removed the fat from the outside edges prior to cooking it.  It packed with fresh vegetables, and  simmered slowly in unsalted fat free beef stock, and brown ale.  The ale I used is Newcastle, Brown Ale...it added wonderful flavor without the bitterness that an ale/beer can sometimes add.  Don't be alarmed when you view the list of ingredients in this recipe...they are mostly seasonings.  Most of the ingredients you already have in your pantry and frig.  I was able to prep all my ingredients in about 15 minutes, then it was a matter of assembly and slow cooking.

Enjoy!

Beef Stew with Brown Ale

Makes 6 servings

1-1/2 Lbs. Beef chuck shoulder roast, very lean, and trimmed of fat

2 Tbls. Extra virgin olive oil
1 Tbls. Sweet paprika
1 Tsp. Garlic powder
1 Tsp. Dried thyme, crushed
¾ Tsp. Mrs. Dash Original Blend, Seasoning Blend
½ Tsp. Sea salt
½ Tsp. Ground black pepper
½ Tsp. Onion powder
½ Tsp. Ground allspice
Pinch Ground cloves
2 Lrg. Dried bay leaves
1 Sm. sweet onion, chopped into ½ inch pieces
½ Lbs. Leeks (about 2 leeks) – use the white and light green ends only; washed thoroughly and sliced into ¼ inch rounds
Stalks Celery, diced into ½ inch pieces
3 Cloves of garlic, chopped
8 oz. Sliced portabella mushrooms
1 Parsnip (about 1/3 pound), sliced into ½ inch rounds
1 Lb. Carrots, peeled and sliced into ½ inch rounds
2 Packets Herb Ox Beef Bouillon, salt-free
1 26-ounce Container Unsalted Beef Stock, fat free
1 12-ounce Bottle Brown ale, or dark amber beer/ale (I used Newcastle Brown Ale)
3 Cups Idaho potatoes (about 3 medium to large potatoes), cubed into ¾ inch pieces
2 Tbls. Ketchup
1 Tbls. Gravy Master (purchased from the grocery store)
2 – 4 Tbls. Instant mashed potato flakes
Additional salt and pepper to taste - optional
 
After trimming the fat from the beef, slice it against the grain into 1 inch strips, and then slice the strips into 1 inch cubes.

Place a 6-quart stock pot over medium high heat and add olive oil, swirl to coat the bottom of the pot.  Add, and mix together the cubed beef, paprika, garlic powder, thyme, Mrs. Dash, salt, pepper, onion powder, allspice, cloves and bay leaves.  Stir and sauté beef until browned on all sides.

Add the onions and sauté for about 5 minutes.  Then add the leeks, celery and garlic; sauté for another 10 minutes.  Then add the mushrooms and sauté for another 5 minutes.

Add the parsnips, carrots, beef bouillon, beef stock and beer and bring to a boil.  Turn the heat down low, partially cover the pot and simmer on low for 1-1/2 hours.

Turn the heat up to medium, and the cubed potatoes, ketchup and Gravy Master, and cook another 20 – 30 minutes, or until fork tender.

Add potato flakes 2 tablespoons at a time until you achieve the desired thickness.  Turn off the heat and let sit for 10 minutes.  Serve hot with warm crusty bread, if you wish.