Beer for Dinner

• 1 1/2 lb. beef top round steak
  
• 1 (12 oz.) can beer
  
• 1/2 c. strong beef broth
  
• 1 tsp. fresh thyme, minced or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves, rubbed.
  
• 2 tbsp. chili sauce (Szchuan)
  
• 2 tbsp. Lee Kum Sauce
  
• 1 tbsp. brown sugar
  
• 2 tbsp. cooking oil
  
• 1 c. cauliflower flowerettes
  
• 1 c. broccoli flowerettes
  
• 1 c. pea pods
  
• 1 green pepper
  
• 1 red pepper (opt.)
  
• 1 yellow pepper (opt.)
  
• 2 green apples, cored & sliced
  
• 1/4 c. cornstarch
  

Partially freeze beef and cut meat at a bias across the grain into thin strips. For sauce, add beer, 1/4 cup of broth, chili sauce, Lee Kum Sauce and brown sugar. In a wok add oil, add beef and stir fry for 2 minutes. Remove beef and add cauliflower and broccoli flowerettes and stir fry 2 minutes. Add pea pods, green, red and yellow peppers and apples and stir fry for 1 minute. Stir remaining beef broth into cornstarch and dissolve. Add the cornstarch slurry to the beef mixture and stir fry until thickened and clear. Return the seared beef to the sauce, serve with spatules, hot noodles or wild rice.

Labels: apples, beef, broccoli, broth, brownsugar, cauliflower, chili sauce, cornstarch, oil, pea pods, peppers, redpepperflakes, thyme

Posted by Steve at 12:34 PM | Permalink | Comments | links to this post

• 1 cup crumbled Maytag blue cheese (available in most markets)
• Pinch of dried rosemary, crumbled
• Pinch of dried thyme, crumbled
• 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 cups beef broth
• 5 slices lean peppered bacon
• 3 large onions, coarsely chopped
• 2 1/2 pounds beef shoulder, trimmed of excess fat and cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes
• 1 cup ale or full-bodied beer
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 bay leaves
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1. In a large, heavy pot, fry the bacon over moderate heat till almost crisp, drain on paper towels, and crumble. Add the onions to the bacon fat, reduce the heat to very low, and cook them slowly, stirring, till nicely caramelized, about 20 minutes. Transfer the onions to a plate, add the vegetable oil to the remaining fat in the pot, and increase the heat to moderately high.

2. On a large plate, dust the beef in the flour, tapping off any excess. Add to the pot and brown on all sides. Add the ale and stir, scraping any browned bits off the bottom of the pot. Add the crumbled bacon and onions to the pot and add the thyme, rosemary, bay leaves, salt and pepper, broth, and vinegar. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer, cover, and cook till the beef is very tender, about 2 hours.

3. Serve the stew in bowls with a little blue cheese sprinkled on top.

Yield: 4 servings

Thanks to The Bacon Cookbook by James Villas, copyright 2007 John Wiley & Sons

Labels: bacon, bayleaves, beef, bluecheese, broth, flour, onions, rosemary, stew, vinegar

Posted by Lunar Babe at 7:32 PM | Permalink | Comments | links to this post