I mentioned a beef stew made with Celebration Ale in my last post. I thought I’d share the recipe here, as it’s quite tasty and reasonably easy to prepare. You can vary the beer in here to get different tastes; I’ve tried this with two or three and like the Celebration Ale the best so far.
Beef Stew with Leeks and Beer
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 ½ lbs beef tenderloin tips (yum), cut into small chunks
- 4 c thinly sliced leeks (about 4 large)
- 8 oz carton of sliced mushrooms—we like baby bellas, but others will work
- 2 c sliced carrots
- 1 Tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- dash of salt
- fresh ground black pepper to taste (at least ¼ tsp)
- 1 (14oz) can of beef broth
- 1 bottle of beer—experiment with different beers here
- 2 Tbsp cornstarch
- 2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the beef and cook five minutes, or until browned. You may need to do the beef in two batches, depending on the size of your Dutch oven. Remove the beef from the pan. Add the leeks and the mushrooms to the pan; sauté for 3 minutes. Return the beef the pan and all of the remaining ingredients except the cornstarch and vinegar. Stir well and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for about two hours, or until the beef is nice and tender. With tenderloin tips, you’ll probably be done a little early.
Just before you’re ready to serve this meal, pour the beer you’ll be serving with it and let it sit and get some air for a couple minutes. Then mix the cornstarch and vinegar in a small bowl and pour it into the stew. Increase heat and bring the stew to a boil. Cook for three minutes, stirring constantly.
Serve with a good beer (or stop reading our blog!) and a nice warm bread. This is a great way to get rid of a cold or to warm up after a day in the snow.
This recipe is a slight modification of a recipe originally published in Cooking Light.