Michael Symons Beef Stout Stew Recipes

FEEL GOOD SWEET POTATO STEW

Steps:

• Heat a large saucepan over medium heat and add the oil. When hot, add the garlic and onions and cook until beginning to soften, about 2 minutes. Add the potatoes, turmeric, coriander and pepper and cook for 2 minutes. Add the crushed tomatoes, beans, coconut milk, vegetable stock and nuts and bring to a simmer. Cook until the potatoes are tender and the liquid thickens, 20 to 30 minutes. Taste and season with salt if needed.
• Serve the stew in bowls with lime wedges for squeezing. Garnish with cilantro and hot sauce if using.

SLOW-COOKER STOUT BEEF STEW

Steps:

• In a 6-quart slow cooker, combine the potatoes, carrots, onions, garlic, parsley, stout, olive oil, brown sugar and tomato paste. In a separate bowl, mix the flour with the salt and pepper. Dredge the beef pieces in the dry mixture, shaking off any excess.
• In a medium skillet, melt the butter and canola oil over medium-high heat. In batches, add the beef pieces and sear until brown, about 2 minutes, transferring the beef to the slow cooker as done. Remove the last batch of beef to the slow cooker, add 1 cup of the chicken broth to the skillet and scrape up all the brown bits that have accumulated on the bottom of the pan. Add the pan juices to the slow cooker, along with the remaining 2 cups of chicken broth. Cover, and cook on high for 6 hours.

BURGER AND BARLEY STEW

Steps:

• Heat a large soup pot over medium heat and add the oil. When hot, add the meat and cook, without stirring, until the meat is starting to brown on the bottom, 3 to 4 minutes. Break it up with a wooden spoon, then add the onions and mushrooms and cook until starting to soften, about 3 minutes.
• Stir in the carrots, barley and dried herbs. Add the stock or water and bring to simmer. Check the seasoning and add salt and pepper as needed. Continue to simmer until the barley is tender, 45 minutes to 1 hour. The cooking time will vary depending on the type of barley--pearled or hulled--or variety of grain you use. (If you are using cubed stew meat, you'll need to cook until the meat is tender, which may take 1 1/2 to 2 hours.)

BEEF AND IRISH STOUT STEW

Steps:

• 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.

ITALIAN BRAISED BEEF WITH ROOT VEGETABLES

Steps:

• For Yia Yia's Sunday sauce: Heat the oil in a 4-quart saucepan or large Dutch oven over medium heat. Brown the beef bones. Add the onions and cook until translucent, 2 minutes. Add the salt and garlic and cook until everything is soft but not browned, about 3 minutes. Squeeze the tomatoes one by one into the pan, pulverizing them by hand, and pour in their juice, too. Add the wine, oregano, red pepper flakes, if using, black pepper and bay leaf. Bring the sauce to a simmer, and then reduce the heat to its lowest possible setting, and continue to cook for 8 hours. The sauce should reduce by about one-third. Taste for seasoning and add more salt if necessary. Remove the bones and bay leaf. Set aside 2 cups. If not using the remaining sauce right away, let it cool, then cover and refrigerate for up to 1 week or freeze for up to 2 months. Yield: 8 cups.
• For the braised beef with root vegetables: Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Sprinkle the meat liberally with salt and pepper as much as 1 day in advance. (Cover and refrigerate it if doing so and take the meat out of the fridge 30 minutes before cooking.) Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over high heat. When the oil is on the verge of smoking, sear the meat for about 2 minutes per side. Move the meat to the side (or remove it from the pot altogether if necessary), and add the carrots, celery root and onions. Brown the vegetables for about 3 minutes, and then add the garlic and cook for 1 to 2 minutes longer. Pour in the wine and deglaze the pot, scraping up the browned bits on the bottom. Add Yia Yia's Sunday Sauce, 1 cup water and the bay leaves (and the pot roast if you removed it). Bring the liquid to a simmer and taste for seasoning. Add more salt if necessary. Cover the pot and place it in the oven for 3 hours, basting the meat occasionally during cooking time. When almost ready to serve, make the rigatoni, if using. Boil in salted water according to package directions until al dente. Discard the bay leaves before serving. Transfer the meat to a cutting board and slice into bite-size pieces, or shred with 2 forks. Return the meat to the pot of sauce along with the drained rigatoni. Toss to coat, and serve.

CLASSIC BEEF STEW

Steps:

• In an oven-safe Dutch oven, brown beef in batches in oil; drain. Return all meat to the pan. Add onions, tomatoes, broth, tapioca, garlic, parsley, salt, pepper and bay leaf. Bring to a boil. , Cover stew and bake at 350° for 1 hour. Stir in carrots, potatoes and celery. Bake, covered, 1 hour longer or until meat and vegetables are tender. Discard bay leaf.