USE BRAISING BEEF
Chuck, blade or labelled braising steak has the connective tissue needed to become tender and rich. Lean frying steak will only become expensive disappointment.
BEEF & GUINNESS STEW
TENDER BEEF. DARK STOUT GRAVY. PROPER MASH.
- SERVES
- 2 GENEROUSLY
- PREP
- 25 MINUTES
- COOK
- 7–8 HOURS LOW
- CROCKPOT
- ABOUT 1.8L
- DIFFICULTY
- EASY
- NIX RATING
- ★★★★★
This is stew built for the little Crockpot, not a family recipe lazily divided until half an onion becomes a mathematical crisis. Four hundred grams of braising beef gives two genuinely generous bowls.
The Guinness brings roasted malt, bitterness and depth. Reducing it in the frying pan first rounds the flavour and lifts every browned scrap of beef into the gravy.
The liquid looks restrained because it is. Small slow cookers barely evaporate with the lid on; the beef, mushrooms, carrots and onion all contribute moisture while they cook.
INGREDIENTS
01400g braising steak or beef chuck, trimmed and cut into 3cm chunks
021½ tablespoons plain flour
03½ teaspoon fine salt
04½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
051 tablespoon rapeseed or vegetable oil
061 medium onion, cut into wedges
071 large carrot (about 140g), cut into thick half-moons
08100g chestnut mushrooms, halved
092 garlic cloves, crushed
101 tablespoon tomato purée
11200ml Guinness Original or Draught
1275ml strong beef stock
131 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
141 teaspoon soft dark brown sugar
15½ teaspoon dried thyme
161 bay leaf
171 teaspoon cornflour mixed with 2 teaspoons cold water, only if needed
181 teaspoon red-wine vinegar, to finish
19Chopped parsley, optional
20400g floury potatoes, peeled and chopped, for the mash
2115g butter and 30ml milk, for the mash
22160g frozen peas, to serve
CUPBOARD CHECK
SHOPPING LIST
Tick what you already have. What remains is your shopping list.
22STILL NEEDED
NIX FOOD DATA · ESTIMATED
NUTRITION & COST
Approximate values per complete serving with mash and peas. Ingredient brands, exact weights and cooking losses will alter the final figures.
APPROXIMATE COST≈ £8.40WHOLE RECIPE≈ £4.20PER COMPLETE SERVING WITH MASH AND PEAS
- ENERGY
- 3,075 kJ / 735 kcal
- PROTEIN
- 52g
- CARBOHYDRATE
- 72g
- OF WHICH SUGARS
- 15g
- FAT
- 24g
- SATURATES
- 9g
- FIBRE
- 11g
- SALT
- 2.5g
Cost basis: Approximate UK supermarket prices apportioned to the quantities used, including mash and peas. Buying single packs costs more but leaves useful ingredients.
Nutrition basis: Two equal complete servings using 400g trimmed braising beef, mash and peas. Values vary with beef trim, stock and stout.
METHOD
- 01
PREP THE BEEF
Pat the beef completely dry. Mix the flour, salt and pepper, then toss it through the beef until every piece is lightly coated. Dry beef browns; wet beef quietly boils in its own disappointment.
- 02
BROWN IN TWO BATCHES
Heat half the oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat. Brown half the beef for 3–4 minutes, turning until deeply coloured on several sides. Transfer to the small Crockpot, repeat with the remaining oil and beef, and do not crowd the pan.
- 03
BUILD THE DARK BASE
Lower the heat to medium. Add the onion, carrot and mushrooms to the same pan and cook for 5 minutes. Add the garlic and tomato purée; stir for 60 seconds until the purée darkens.
- 04
REDUCE THE GUINNESS
Pour in the Guinness gradually, scraping every browned bit from the pan. Bubble briskly for 3–4 minutes so the beer reduces slightly and loses its harsh raw edge.
- 05
LOAD THE SMALL POT
Tip everything into the Crockpot. Add the stock, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, thyme and bay leaf. Stir, making sure the beef is mostly beneath the liquid. The pot should be between half and three-quarters full.
- 06
LOW AND SLOW
Cover and cook on LOW for 7–8 hours, or HIGH for 4–4½ hours, until a piece of beef yields easily to a fork. Do not keep lifting the lid. Start checking at 7 hours because little Crockpots often run enthusiastically hot.
- 07
MAKE THE MASH
About 30 minutes before serving, boil the potatoes in salted water for 15–18 minutes until tender. Drain well, steam-dry for 2 minutes, then mash with the butter and warm milk. Cook the peas separately.
- 08
FINISH THE GRAVY
Remove the bay leaf. Stir in the vinegar, taste and adjust salt and pepper. If the gravy needs thickening, stir in the cornflour slurry and cook on HIGH, uncovered, for 15–20 minutes. If it is already glossy and spoon-coating, leave well alone.
- 09
SERVE IT PROPERLY
Spoon the mash into two warm bowls, add the stew and peas, then finish with parsley and black pepper. Crusty bread is optional; using it to chase the last of the gravy is not.
GUINNESS NOTE
KEEP IT BALANCED
Use 200ml, not the whole can. Too much stout can make a small batch bitter and watery.
Slow cooking does not guarantee that every trace of alcohol disappears. For anyone avoiding alcohol, use a good alcohol-free stout and check that the Worcestershire sauce suits their dietary requirements.
The remaining Guinness is the cook’s quality-control sample. Traditional systems matter.
THE IMPORTANT BITS
KEEP THE CARROT CHUNKY
Thick half-moons survive seven hours. Thin coins surrender before lunchtime.
THICKEN LAST
Flour on the beef may be enough. Only add cornflour after cooking if the gravy truly needs it.
THE LITTLE POT’S
BIG PUB DINNER.
Fork-tender beef, sweet carrots, earthy mushrooms and a gravy dark enough to mean business—portion-built for two and engineered not to become soup.
MASH DOWN. STEW ON. BREAD WITHIN REACH.