Felt like having beef and stout today. My brother in law gave my dad a box of stout. He isn’t drinking it as it causes him to have gout. My dad said I can have it. I have made cake with it why not experiment in beef making stew. I have a few different vegetables might as well use them. Got to be creative and experiment the flavour.

Google: “The name “Stew” originates from a method of cooking where small pieces of meat are simmered in water or other liquid until its tender. When choosing a cut of beef for your stew recipe, you want to look for collagen-rich beef, which comes from the harder working parts of the animal. Stronger muscles may have less fat but they have high levels of connective tissue, which results in the collagen.”

“The most common beef used for stew is chuck steak, also known as gravy beef or braising steak. Beef chuck comes from the forequarter of the animal consisting of parts of the neck, shoulder blade and upper arm. It is easy to find and it’s affordable, making it a great choice for your stew. Chuck has high levels of connective tissue and as such will become moist as it releases high levels of gelatin. In addition to the connective tissue, it has a good amount of marbling and low external fat.”

“When cooking your stew, it’s important to brown and caramelise the meat first. This will create added depth and flavour to the whole stew. You’ll want to brown the beef and then make the stew in the same pan, without cleaning it. When browning the beef, sear in batches and don’t overcrowd the pan. This technique will give each piece enough space to perfectly caramelise and you won’t accidentally steam the meat.”

“Once you’ve added all of your ingredients, you’ll want to simmer the stew at a low heat for two to three hours. Give it a taste-test at the two-hour mark and if the meat isn’t tender enough just extend the cook time until the meat is falling apart. If you’re bulking up the dish with vegetables, we recommend saving them to add towards the end of the cook so they don’t get overly soft. To make a healthier stew you can skim the fat off the top before serving, or if you’ve made a batch in advance wait until the stew cools in the fridge, which will cause the fat on the top to harden, making it much easier to get off.

“Stout has a malty sweetness and a hoppy bitterness, with notes of coffee and chocolate. A roasted flavour also comes through, courtesy of the roasted unmalted barley that goes into its brewing. It has a sweet nose, with hints of malt breaking through, and its palate is smooth, creamy, and balanced.

I am glad to add in stout to stew my beef. My meal is creamy, flavourful, hearty, comforting and delicious. It’s sure is great meal for Winter or cold raining day. Let’s stew and filled your kitchen to your dining room with this aroma that will make you warm!!!

Ingredients

500 g beef chuck cut into cubes
150 g couscous
4 stalks asparagus, cut bite size
3 small carrots cut into chunks
3 stalks celery rough cut
1/2 zucchini, cut chunks
1/4 red capsicum, cut bite size
1/4 yellow capsicums, cut bite size
335 ml stout
800 ml beef stock
4 tbsp tomato paste
3 cloves garlic minced
1 onion roughly chopped
1/8 c plain flour
2 sprigs rosemary
2 sprigs thyme
oil
salt
pepper

Method

Pat dry beef cubes then coat it in salt, pepper and flour. Heat 3 Tbs oil in a cast iron pan over high heat. Brown beef cubes well on all sides; a few pieces at a time; do not overcrowd. Cook, turning beef until it is browned on all sides, about 5 minutes per batch; add more oil as needed between batches. Remove and place on a plate until needed.

Lower heat to medium. If needed add additional oil. Add garlic, and onions; cook for about 1 minute. Next add stout to deglaze pan and herbs. Cook over medium-high heat, scraping the pan with a wooden spoon to loosen any browned bits. Then add beef, stock and tomato paste. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a slow simmer.

Cover and cook, skimming stock from time to time, until beef is tender, about 1 1/2 hours. Add in carrots, celery and simmer, covered, for 10 minutes. Next add in asparagus, zucchini and simmer until vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes. Now add in couscous and cook for about 10 minutes until tender; you might need 5 minutes more if you feel it’s not tender. Lastly add both capsicums, cook about 5 minutes. Add in more stock or water if stew is dry. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Remove herbs and serve with additional stout. Enjoy!!!

Note: You might need more time cooking if beef isn’t tender yet. You can add potatoes, mushrooms, green beans, peas or corn. You can use vegetables stock if you like. You can use can diced tomatoes instead of paste. If you want more gravy add more stock. You can omit couscous and add pasta. You can tell when couscous is done when the liquid is absorbed and the couscous is tender.

https://helenscchin.com/2020/04/15/beef-stew-in-stout/

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