Recipe

Beef & Mushroom Stew with Stout

Name: Beef & Mushroom Stew with Stout
Yield: 6
Ingredients: 1.2kg braising beef (chuck, shin, or featherblade), cut into 5cm pieces; Sea salt and black pepper; 3 tbsp neutral oil; 2 large onions, finely diced; 4 cloves garlic, finely sliced; 3 medium carrots, peeled, cut into 2cm pieces; 3 sticks celery, cut into 2cm pieces; 400ml stout or dark ale; 400ml good beef or chicken stock; 400g tinned chopped tomatoes; 3 bay leaves; 4 sprigs fresh thyme; 500g chestnut mushrooms, halved; 2 tbsp butter; 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce; Small bunch flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped, to serve

Diced beef braised long and slow in stout with a large quantity of mushrooms until the sauce turns deeply dark and the meat collapses at the touch of a fork. A proper winter stew.

Serves 6

Ready in 3 hrs 30 min

Keeps 5 days fridge, 3 months freezer. Much better the next day.

Level Moderate

1.2kg braising beef (chuck, shin, or featherblade), cut into 5cm pieces
Sea salt and black pepper
3 tbsp neutral oil
2 large onions, finely diced
4 cloves garlic, finely sliced
3 medium carrots, peeled, cut into 2cm pieces
3 sticks celery, cut into 2cm pieces
400ml stout or dark ale
400ml good beef or chicken stock
400g tinned chopped tomatoes
3 bay leaves
4 sprigs fresh thyme
500g chestnut mushrooms, halved
2 tbsp butter
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
Small bunch flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped, to serve

The quality of a braised beef stew depends on the cut. Chuck, shin, and featherblade are the three best choices — all are collagen-rich, which means that over 2.5–3 hours they become extraordinarily tender while their connective tissue dissolves into the sauce, adding body and a silky quality that stock alone cannot produce. Lean cuts (rump, sirloin) do not improve with long cooking — they dry out. If your butcher offers 'stewing beef' without specifying the cut, ask for chuck or shin.

Method

Preheat the oven to 160°C (140°C fan). Pat the beef pieces completely dry with kitchen paper — moisture is the primary barrier to browning. Season very generously with salt and pepper on all sides.

Heat 2 tbsp oil in a large flameproof casserole over high heat until smoking. Brown the beef in batches — do not crowd the pan; the pieces need space or they will steam rather than brown. Cook without moving for 2–3 minutes per side until deeply coloured all over. Transfer to a plate and continue with the remaining batches. This step takes patience but is the foundation of the stew's flavour.

Reduce the heat to medium. Add the remaining oil. Add the onions, carrots, and celery with a pinch of salt. Scrape up the dark bits stuck to the base of the pan — they're flavour. Cook for 8–10 minutes until the vegetables are softened. Add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes.

Pour in the stout. Increase the heat and let it bubble vigorously for 3 minutes to cook off the raw alcohol. Add the beef stock and tinned tomatoes. Return the browned beef to the casserole along with any resting juices. Add the bay leaves and thyme. Bring to a simmer.

Cover with a tight-fitting lid and transfer to the oven. Braise for 2.5–3 hours until the beef is completely tender — it should break apart when pressed with a spoon with no resistance. Check once or twice; if the liquid has reduced below the level of the meat, add a splash of water.

About 30 minutes before the stew is done, cook the mushrooms. Melt the butter in a large frying pan over high heat. Add the mushrooms in a single layer — work in batches if necessary. Cook completely undisturbed for 3–4 minutes until deeply browned on the underside. Season and add to the stew for the final 20 minutes of cooking.

Remove from the oven. Discard the bay leaves and thyme sprigs. Stir in the Worcestershire sauce. Taste and season generously — the stew will need more salt than you expect; the stout and long cooking require it. Serve in deep bowls over mashed potato or with crusty bread, scattered with roughly chopped parsley.

✦ Chef's note

This stew is substantially better the day after cooking — refrigerate overnight, skim the solidified fat from the surface, and reheat gently with a splash of water if needed. A small amount of good dark chocolate (15–20g) stirred in at the very end adds depth without any discernible chocolate flavour. Pearl onions or shallots added with the mushrooms in the final 30 minutes of cooking are a good addition if you want more texture and sweetness. The stew freezes extremely well — portion into containers, freeze flat, and use within 3 months. Reheat from frozen in a covered pan over very low heat, stirring occasionally.