Beer for Dinner

• 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

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 8 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
• 3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 yellow onions, chopped
• 2 red bell peppers, stemmed, seeded, and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 2 poblano or Anaheim peppers, stemmed, seeded, and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 6 large carrots, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch slices
• 6 celery stalks, cut into 1/4-inch slices
• 10 garlic, chopped
• 6 large sprigs fresh thyme
• 3 dried bay leaves
• 2 12-ounce bottles brown ale, such as Newcastle
• 4 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, scrubbed and cut into 1/2-inch chunks
• 1 pound okra, stemmed, and cut into 1/4-inch slices
• 12 cups canned low-sodium chicken stock
• 2 28-ounce cans peeled whole tomatoes with their liquid, crushed
• 2 cups fresh or frozen corn kernels, (about 6 ears)
• 2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 1 cup coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley
• Juice of 1 lemon
• Hot sauce, for serving (optional)

In a large bowl, whisk together 1 cup of flour, 1 tablespoon salt, and 1 teaspoon black pepper. Add the chicken, and toss well to evenly coat. Heat 1/2 cup olive oil over medium-high heat in a wide 20-quart heavy-bottomed pot. Add half of the chicken, and brown, turning once, until lightly golden, about 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer chicken to a large bowl. Add remaining 1/4 cup oil to the pot and brown remaining chicken; transfer to the bowl and set aside.

Add the onions, peppers, carrots, celery, garlic, thyme, and bay leaves to the pot, and season well with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until softened, about 8 minutes. Add ale and bring to a simmer, scraping the brown bits off the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Add potatoes, okra, chicken stock, tomatoes and their liquid, corn, and red pepper flakes, and bring the mixture to a boil. Add reserved chicken, reduce heat to maintain a simmer, cover, and cook until vegetables and chicken are tender and cooked through, about 25 minutes.

In a small bowl, whisk remaining 1/2 cup flour together with the milk until smooth. Stir mixture into the stew and return to a simmer. Cook until very thick, 2 to 3 minutes. Reseason with salt and pepper. Stir in the parsley and lemon juice. Serve with a dash of hot sauce, if desired.

Serves 24.

Thanks to Vox

Labels: bayleaves, carrots, celery, chicken, corn, evoo, garlic, hotpeppers, hotsauce, lemon, milk, okra, onions, peppers, potatoes, stew, stock, thyme, tomatoes

Posted by Steve at 9:40 PM | Permalink | Comments | links to this post

• 2 tablespoons anise seeds
• 4 garlic cloves, coarsley chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon saffron threads (I omitted this as those are expensive, and it still tastes and smells good)
• 2 teaspoons sweet paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons pure olive oil
• 8 skinless chicken thighs
• Salt
• 1 cup shelled fava beans
• 1/2 cup fresh peas
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 pound button mushrooms halved
• 8 scallions thinly sliced
• 2 thyme sprigs
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• One 12-ounce bottle belgian beer
• 1/2 cup heavy cream.
• 1/4 cup coarsley chopped flat parsley.

In a small skillet, toast the anise seeds over moderate heat, shaking the skillet until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Let the seeds cool slightly, and then crush with the side of a knife.

In a mini food processor, combine the seeds, garlic, saffron (if using), paprika, anc cayenne. Add the lemon juice and puree. Transfer to a large, shallow bowl and stir in 1/2 cup olive oil.. Ad dthe chicken thighs and turn to coat. Refrigerate for 1 hour.

While the chicken is marinating, bring a medium saucepan of water to a boil. Add salt and the fava beans, and cook for one minute. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the fava beans to a small bowl and cool slightly. Add the peas to the boiling water and cook until tender, 5 to 6 minutes. Drain the peas. Peel the fava beans and add to the peas.

Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large enameled cast-iron casserole. Remove the chicken thighs from the marinade, scraping off the excess. Season the chicken with salt and black pepper and cook over moderatley high heat, turning occasionally, until browned, about 10 minutes.

Wipe out the casserole, add the butter and heat until melted. Add the mushrooms, sliced scallions, and cook over moderate heat sirring occasionally, until any liquid has evaporated and the mushrooms are browned, about 8 minutes. Sprinkle the flour over the mushrooms, and cook, stirring for 1 minute. Slowly stir in the beer, and bring to a boil, scraping up any browned bits on the bottom of the casserole.

Return the chicken thighs to the casserole and season wth salt and black pepper. Cover and simmer over low heat until the chicken is tender and cooked through, about 25 minutes. Add the cream, fava beans, and peas, increase the heat to moderate, and cook uncovered until the sauce has reduced slightly, about 5 minutes. Discard the thyme sprigs.

Labels: beans, butter, cayenne, chicken, cream, flour, garlic, lemon, mushrooms, oliveoil, paprika, parsley, peas, saffron, scallions, stew, thyme

Posted by Steve at 8:58 PM | Permalink | Comments | links to this post

• 4 lbs boneless beef chuck stew meat
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 2 onions, chopped
• 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 1/2 cups Guinees Draught (not the extra stout)
• 1 tbsp light brown sugar
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped
• 2 bay leaves
• 5 carrots, peeled and cut into 1" chunks
• 1 lb parsnips, peeled and cut into 1" chunks
• 1 1/2 lb baby red potatoes, scrubbed clean
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 tbsp minced parsley (fresh)

Pat beef dry with paper towels and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Heat 2 tsp oil in large skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Cook half of beef until browned on all-sides, about 8 minutes. Transfer to slow cooker insert and repeat with additional 2 tsp oil and remaining beef.

Add remaining 2 tsp oil, onions, and 1/4 tsp salt to skillet and cook until onions are lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add broth, 1 1/4 cups stout, sugar, thyme, chocolate and bay leaves - bring to boil using wooden spoon to scrape up browned bits. Transfer to slow cooker insert.

Add carrots, parsnips, and potatoes to slow cooker insert. Cover and cook on low until meat is tender, 9-10 hours (or cook on hight for 6-7 hours). Set slow cooker to high. Whisk flour and remaining 1/4 cup beer until smooth, then stir mixture into slow cooker. Cook, covered, until sauce thickens, about 15 minutes. Stir in parsley, season with salt and pepper, and discard bay leaf. Serve!

Thanks to YumSugar at TeamSugar

Labels: beef, brownsugar, carrots, chocolate, flour, onions, parsley, parsnips, potatoes, stew, stock

Posted by Steve at 8:53 PM | Permalink | Comments | links to this post

2 medium onions, chopped
1/4 c. unbleached flour
4 c. water
1 c. Guinness stout (or other dark beer)
2 c. mushrooms, thickly sliced
1 c. carrot, sliced into rounds
1 c. celery, diced
1/2 c. split red lentils
1/2 c. fresh parsley, chopped
1/4 c. soy sauce
3 vegetarian bouillon cubes or 3 T. vegetable-stock base
1 bay leaf
2 tsp. Marmite (I use nutrional yeast instead)
1 tsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. each dried thyme, marjoram and rosemary
2 cloves garlic, minced
Black pepper to taste
1 package of frozen or refrigerated vegetarian "steak" strips

In a large, lightly oiled, heavy pot, steam-fry the onion until it begins to soften. Add the flour and stir thoroughly. Add the remaining ingredients, mix well, and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer on low heat for about 30 minutes, or until the vegetables are done.

Serves 6. Serve with Colcannon (an Irish dish of mashed potatoes and greens -- generally kale, although some recipes use leeks or green onion) and Irish soda bread.

Thanks to Cassandra at Journal Now

Labels: carrots, celery, garlic, lentils, mushrooms, parsley, stew, vegetarian

Posted by Steve at 9:39 PM | Permalink | Comments | links to this post

• 1 tablespoon oil
• 3 pounds boneless beef top sirloin, fat trimmed, cut in one-inch cubes
• 2 large onions, diced
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 2 cups stout beer (12 ounces)
• 3 cups water
• 1 cube concentrated beef bouillon
• 4 bay leaves
• 1 teaspoon caraway seed
• 1 tablespoon table salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 pound carrots, in chunks
• 1 pound new potatoes, in chunks
• 3 tablespoons flour

Heat oil in a Dutch oven on medium high til shimmery. Add the meat, let it brown, stirring often. Stir in onion and garlic as they’re prepped, let cook til onions are soft. Add beer, water, bouillon, bay leaves, caraway, salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to maintain a simmer, simmer 30 minutes. (Cook ahead to here if you like. Return to a simmer to continue.)

Add the carrots and potato, return to a boil, cover and let simmer 30 minutes.
Remove bay leaves. Sprinkle flour over hot mixture a bit at a time, stirring each bit in before adding more. Let cook 2 – 3 minutes. Serve and enjoy!

Thanks to Kitchen Parade

Labels: beef, carrots, flour, garlic, onions, potatoes, stew

Posted by Steve at 9:36 PM | Permalink | Comments | links to this post

• 2 lbs. lean stew beef (or lamb, if preferred)
• 1 clove garlic, grated or 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
• salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1 large onion, halved and sliced
• 1–12 oz. bottle Extra Stout beer
• 2 cups beef broth (low-sodium)
• 3 Tbsp. tomato paste
• 2 cups carrots sliced
• 4 new potatoes, cut into quarters
• 2 turnips, cut into quarters
• 1 4-inch stem of rosemary, or 1 tsp. dried rosemary leaves
• 2 bay leaves
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• Chopped fresh parsley for garnish

Combine all ingredients (except the cornstarch and water) in a slow cooker and cook on low for 8 hours. Combine the cornstarch and water in a bowl and stir into the stew. Cover the slow cooker and allow the stew to cook an additional 10 minutes, until thickened slightly. Top with parsley. Serves 8.

Thanks to Sara's Kitchen

Labels: carrots, garlic, onion, parsley, potatoes, stew, stock, tomoto paste, turnips

Posted by Steve at 11:18 PM | Permalink | Comments | links to this post

• 2 lbs stew meat
• 1 large onion (pref. yellow) (diced, but not too tiny)
• 1 to 1 1/2 cups chopped carrots
• 1 to 1 1/2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms (may substitute 1 large potato)
• some flour (white or whole wheat)
• 4 strips of bacon
• 1 bottle (12 or 16 oz) of Oatmeal Stout (I use Samuel Smiths)
• 1 packet of McCormick's Beef Stew Seasoning
• 1 bay leaf (optional)
• Crockpot

Cook bacon in a large skillet.

While bacon cooks, toss the stew meat in some flour to coat lightly (this is not "breading" just a coat of flour).

Remove cooked bacon from pan, do NOT drain grease.

Brown stew meat in bacon grease, it is not necessary or desirable to fully cook the meat.

While meat cooks, chop carrots, dice onion, slice mushrooms, and chop the cooked bacon.

Add all vegetables to the crock pot, add the meat too.

Pour a room temperature Oatmeal Stout into the crock pot. Add entire packet of McCormicks Seasoning mix and 1 bay leaf.

Add water until ingredients are barely coated, ideally you want some of them sticking out of the water. The veggies will release their own water, so don't add too much. I usually add about 2 beer bottles full (24 oz). You can experiment with the beer/water ratio if you want.

Stir

Cook on high in your crockpot for 3-4 hours until meat is "flaky". Don't open lid during cooking.

Add salt and pepper to taste (I've never had to add any, the bacon takes care of the salt). Find and Remove the bay leaf.

Thanks to mfischer2 at The Brewing Network

Labels: bacon, carrots, crockpot, mushrooms, onion, stew

Posted by Steve at 10:27 PM | Permalink | Comments | links to this post

• 2 pounds lean beef stew meat
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 1 pinch cayenne pepper
• 2 large onions, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 1/2 cups Irish stout beer (e.g., Guinness)
• 2 cups chopped carrot
• 1 sprig fresh thyme
• 1 tableespoon chopped fresh parsley for garnish

Toss the beef cubes with 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil. In a separate bowl, stir together the flour, salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper. Dredge the beef in this to coat.

Heat the remaining oil in a deep skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the beef, and brown on all sides. Add the onions, and garlic. Stir the tomato paste into a small amount of water to dilute; pour into the pan and stir to blend. Reduce the heat to medium, cover, and cook for 5 minutes.

Pour 1/2 cup of the beer into the pan, and as it begins to boil, scrape any bits of food from the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. This adds a lot of flavor to the broth. Pour in the rest of the beer, and add the carrots and thyme. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 2 to 3 hours, stirring occasionally. Taste and adjust seasoning before serving. Garnish with chopped parsley.

Thanks to ritten

Labels: beef, carrot, cayenne, flour, garlic, onions, parsley, stew, thyme, tomoto paste

Posted by Steve at 10:15 PM | Permalink | Comments | links to this post

• 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 1/2 pounds boneless pork shoulder butt, cut into 2 1/2-inch pieces or boneless country pork spareribs, cut into 2-inch pieces
• 3 bacon slices, chopped
• 1 large onion, thinly sliced
• 1 cup diced smoked ham
• 1 medium carrot, peeled, chopped
• 6 large garlic cloves, chopped
• 2 poblano chilies,* seeded, cut into 2x1/4-inch strips
• 2 cups drained canned hominy (from two 15-ounce cans)
• 1 cup canned diced tomatoes in juice
• 1 cup beer
• 1 cup canned low-salt chicken broth
• 1 teaspoon dried marjoram
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Mix 1 tablespoon chili powder, salt, and pepper in bowl. Rub spice mixture all over pork. Sauté bacon in heavy large pot over medium heat until crisp, about 5 minutes. Transfer bacon to paper towels to drain. Working in batches, add pork to drippings in pot and sauté until brown on all sides, about 10 minutes per batch. Using slotted spoon, transfer pork to bowl.

Reduce heat to medium. Add onion, ham, carrot, and garlic to pot; cover and cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally and scraping up browned bits. Add chilies; stir 1 minute. Stir in hominy, tomatoes with juices, beer, broth, marjoram, pork, and remaining 2 teaspoons chili powder and bring to boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer until pork is very tender, about 1 hour. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and chill bacon. Cool stew slightly. Chill uncovered until cold, then cover and keep chilled.)

Simmer stew uncovered until liquid is slightly reduced and thickened, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to bowl. Sprinkle with reserved bacon and cilantro.

Thanks to epicurious

Labels: bacon, carrot, chili, cilantro, garlic, ham, hominy, onions, pork, stew, tomatoes

Posted by Steve at 7:43 PM | Permalink | Comments | links to this post

"Beer, bacon, onions and brown sugar flavour this thick beef stew from Flanders. It is a true rib-sticking dish to serve winter guests on a cold weekend night."

• 6 portions braising steak
• 1 bottle beer
• 6 peppercorns
• 1 bay leaf
• Fat for frying
• 3 small red onions, sliced thinly
• 2 rashers smoked fat streaky bacon, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 small celeriac, peeled and cubed
• 1 leek, cleaned and sliced
• 1 medium carrot, peeled and sliced thinly
• 1 small raw beetroot, peeled and cubed
• 15 ml (1 tbsp) tomato puree
• 15 ml (1 tbsp) seasoned plain flour
• 75 ml (1/3 cup) beef stock
• 1 bouquet garni
• Salt and freshly ground pepper

Place steaks in a dish and pour beer over; add peppercorns and bay leaf and marinate overnight.

Next day, fry onions, bacon and garlic in fat over medium heat for about 30 seconds, then add celeriac, leek and carrot and fry for another 2 minutes, stirring, until lightly browned.

Remove with a slotted spoon and place in bottom of a heavy casserole.

Take steak from marinade, pat dry with paper towels and quickly brown on all sides in the fat left in the pan to seal in the beer, then place on top of the vegetables; add beetroot and tomato puree.

Add a little more fat to pan, if necessary, heat and sprinkle in flour, stirring it in briskly and cooking for 1 to 2 minutes.

Pour in beef stock and bring slowly to simmering point until it thickens.

Remove from heat, stir in remaining marinade, pour over steak in casserole, add bouquet garni and cover. Place toward bottom of a 160 C (325 F) oven and cook for 3 hours or until meat is tender and gravy slightly thickened.

Taste and season if necessary (the beer adds a good deal of spiciness), remove bay leaf and bouquet garni and serve with mashed potatoes and a green vegetable such as brussels sprouts.

Makes 6 servings.

Source: Leffe Blonde Belgian beer. Thanks to Fort Frances Times Online

Labels: bacon, beef, brownsugar, onions, stew, stock

Posted by Steve at 9:57 PM | Permalink | Comments | links to this post