beer beef stew.

i've probably tried to cook beef stew more times than i can ever recall but i could never get that kind of taste and texture that you get at a restaurant. not to mention sometimes it turns out to be too thick and sickening to eat after awhile.

this is an accidental discovery. i've never thought about stewing the beef in beer because i use red wine all of the other times. it has proven to be amazing because beer gives you the stew a very light flavor, almost like a thick soup. if you love stew, this is a great recipe to try!

500g braising beef
3 large potatoes (or how ever many you like), diced
2 large carrots, diced
1 box of cherry tomatoes/plum tomatoes
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 stalk of fresh rosemary (dried is fine)
1 teaspoon of thyme
1 pint beer
2 beef cubes
salt and pepper to taste

(serves 4)

in a large pot, fry the garlic in olive oil over high heat and add in the chopped onion. cook the onions until soft over the high heat, so as to remove any fluids from the onions and slightly carmelise them to help add sweetness to the stew.
add in the beef and cook for 5 minutes before adding in rosemary, thyme and a pinch of salt and pepper. pour in the pint of beer, let the foam bubble away and simmer slightly before adding in the potatoes, carrots, tomatoes and the beef cubes. place the lid over the pot and let it stew for 1 hour.


serve with crusty bread or white rice.