Beer Braised Beef Stew with Brussels Sprouts

Beer Braised Beef Stew with Brussels Sprouts

Well, this was supposed to be my St. Patrick's Day recipe but due to circumstances beyond my control, I was out of town this past week and was away from my computer, camera, etc. So while this is getting to you a little late, I think it would still be a great weekend meal on these cold March days. Yes, I said cold March days, even here in South Carolina! Nothing warms you up on a cold, rainy day better than a nice soup or stew. This recipe is very simple and filling and once again it includes my favorite local beer- Deepwater Dopplebock by Thomas Creek Brewery. You can substitute any dark beer.  The original recipe calls for Guinness but when you have such great local brews right at your fingertips why not substitute. Another perk with this recipe is that since you only use one beer for the stew, there will be plenty left to sip while cooking.
 Enjoy!

Beer Braised Beef Stew with Brussels Sprouts

2 pounds beef stew meat, cut into 1-inch cubes

Sea salt and ground pepper

1/4 cup flour

6 tablespoons olive oil, divided

1 cup dark beer

1 cup chopped white onion

1 cup chopped celery

1 1/2 cup chopped carrots

2 tablespoons chopped garlic

2 cups beef broth

1 1/2 cup chopped white creamer potatoes

1 1/2 cup small Brussels sprouts

2 tablespoons thyme leaves

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Season beef cubes with salt and pepper and dust with flour. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil to a Dutch oven, add beef cubes and sear until browned on each side. Transfer beef to a bowl.

Add beer to the pan and scrape up brown caramelized bits from the bottom. Simmer to reduce beer by half. Pour beer over meat.

Add 2 more tablespoons of olive oil to the pan. Over high heat, add onions, celery and carrots. Season with salt and pepper. After about 3 or 4 minutes, add garlic and allow vegetables to soften slightly.

Add beef mixture back to pan along with beef broth and return to a boil. Cover with a lid and transfer to preheated oven.

After about 10 minutes, check stew to make sure it is slowly simmering in your oven (don't boil the stew or it will toughen meat). Reduce oven temperature if needed to obtain a slow simmer.

After an additional 20 minutes, add potatoes, Brussels sprouts and thyme. Return to the oven for another 40 minutes. If stew still has a lot of liquid, return the pan to the stove top and simmer with the lid off (this will help to reduce and thicken stew, as well as intensify flavor). Stir stew occasionally to prevent it from scorching on the bottom.

After a total of 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours cooking time, stew meat should be fork tender. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper if necessary and serve immediately.

Recipe from Whole Foods