Beef In Ale Recipes

Steps:

• If you're using the porcini mushrooms, cover 10g of mushrooms in boiling water for 20 mins, then squeeze out but keep the soaking water.
• Heat oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3. Heat 1 tbsp vegetable oil in a large casserole dish, brown 1kg large chunks of braising steak really well in batches, then set aside.
• Add 2 large onions, roughly chopped, and 4 large carrots, chopped into large chunks, to the pan. Add a drizzle more vegetable oil, then cook on a low heat for 5 mins until coloured.
• Add the soaked porcini mushrooms, sizzle for 1 min more, then scatter over 2 tsp golden caster sugar and 4 tbsp plain flour, stirring until the flour turns brown.
• Tip the braising steak and any juices back into the pan and give it all a good stir.
• Pour over 300ml dark ale, 2 beef stock cubes mixed with 400ml boiling water and the porcini mushroom soaking liquid, discarding the last few drops.
• Season the stew, tuck in a small tied-together bunch of thyme, bay leaf and parsley, and bring everything to a simmer.
• Cover with a lid and place in the oven for about 2 hrs, until the braising steak is really tender.
• While the stew is cooking, heat a drop more vegetable oil in a frying pan and sizzle 200g smoked bacon lardons for 3 mins until crisp.
• Turn up the heat, add 200g halved chestnut mushrooms and cook for 4 mins until golden. Remove from the heat and, when the stew is cooked, stir them through.
• Leave everything to cool completely - better still, make this up to 2 days in advance and keep it in the fridge as the pie will be better if the filling is fridge-cold when added. Can also be frozen for up to 3 months and defrosted when needed.
• Make the pastry up to 2 days before you want to assemble the pie. Crumble 650g plain flour and 250g cold diced lard or butter, together with a generous pinch of sea salt until completely combined, then add up to 200ml ice-cold water to make a soft dough. This can be done in a food processor if you want.
• Knead the pastry, then wrap in cling film and leave to rest in the fridge for at least 1 hr. The pastry can be made up to 2 days ahead and kept in the fridge or frozen for up to a month.
• When you want to make the pie, heat oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7 and place a flat baking tray in the oven. Heavily grease a 24-28cm pie dish and dust well with flour.
• Cut a third off the pastry and set aside. Roll out the pastry to a thickish round that will easily line the pie dish with an overhang, then line the tin.
• Add the braising steak to the dish using a slotted spoon so some gravy is left in the container, as you don't want too much sauce in the pie. You want the filling to be slightly higher than the rim of the dish. If you have a bit too much, set it aside.
• Roll out the remaining pastry to a thick round big enough to cover the dish. Brush the edges of the pastry in the dish with 1 beaten egg yolk, then cover with the pastry lid.
• Trim the edges, crimp the pastry, then re-roll your trimmings to make a decoration, for example, pastry leaves. Brush the top heavily with egg. Make a few little slits in the centre of the pie, place on the hot baking tray.
• Bake for 40 mins until golden. Leave the pie to rest for 10 mins while you heat up the gravy left in the container. Serve the pie at the table with a jug of gravy and a big pile of greens.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 170C/150C fan/gas 3. Put a large non-stick, flameproof casserole dish on a high heat and add 1 tbsp oil. Season the beef and brown in batches until well coloured on both sides, making sure you don't overcrowd the dish. Remove each batch and set aside on a plate.
• Add the remaining oil to the pan and lower the heat to medium. Toss in the onions and cook for about 10 mins until softened and golden brown. Stir in the flour and cook, stirring, for 1-2 mins.
• Add the stout and stir well to deglaze the pan, scraping up any sticky bits. Return the beef to the pan, pour in the stock and add the thyme. Bring to the boil, then put the lid on and cook for 1½ hrs.
• Add the mushrooms to the casserole, stir well and return to the oven for a further 1½ hrs.
• Season to taste and stir in half the chopped parsley. Scatter over the remaining parsley to finish and serve with mash, if you like.

Steps:

• pre-heat the oven to 180c, 350F, gas mark 4. Cut the steak into large cubes (leave all fat as this will melt in cooking). and slice onions.
• Heat the butter and oil in a large casserole and cook the meat over a high heat for 10 minutes until browned and sealed.
• Remove steak and add onions, fry onions until they are transparent and then add the flour stiring allowing the flour to absorb the fat.
• return the meat to the casserole dish and add the beer, mustard, and bay leaf. Cover and cook in the oven for 2 1/2 hours or until tender and sauce has reduced and thickened. You can leave this in the oven for longer if you wish, or cook the day before and reheat.
• you can add a teaspoon of suger at step four if the beer you are using is quite bitter.