With winter storms howling through, nothing beats a bowl of beef stew. This one is flavored with Guinness and tomatoes, which makes a thick, rich broth ready for your spoon. This stew makes delicious lunches, freezes well, and is so easy to make you’ll be pleasantly surprised.
Beef and Ale Stew
Adapted from Jamie Oliver
3 dried bay leaves
1 lb of stewing beef, trimmed and cut into 2 cm cubes
2 celery stalks, diced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 carrots, peeled and diced
2 medium onion, chopped (I used pearl onions instead)
1 tbsp flour
olive oil
2 cups beer or ale (Guinness is good)
398 ml chopped tomatoes, with juice
salt and pepper
In a large pot, saute your onions, celery, garlic, bay leaves, and carrots in a little olive oil for about 10 minutes or until softened. Add in the meat and flour, stirring, and then stir in the tomatoes and beer. Season with salt and pepper.
Bring to a boil, then turn down to low, put a lid on, and let it simmer away for a good three hours. Remove the lid for the last 1/2 hour of cooking and taste to see if you need to add more salt and pepper. Serve with thick pieces of bread slathered with butter and a side salad.
Serves 4-6