Beef and Ale Winter Stew
A warming, slow-braised beef stew with dark ale, root vegetables and a glossy, rich gravy — perfect for cold evenings.
This beef and ale winter stew is what you want for bleak evenings: slow-braised beef, sticky-root vegetables and a deep, malty gravy. It’s filling, forgiving and gets better on day two — exactly the sort of comfort food winter deserves.
Make it on a Sunday for minimal fuss during the week: brown the meat, chuck everything in the oven and let time do the work. Serve with buttery mash, crusty bread or simply on its own with plenty of gravy.
Ingredients
- 800 g braising beef
- 100 g streaky bacon — diced
- 30 g plain flour
- 30 ml olive oil
- 2 brown onion — roughly chopped
- 3 garlic cloves — crushed
- 300 g carrots — cut into 3cm chunks
- 200 g parsnips — cut into 3cm chunks
- 600 g baby potatoes — halved if large
- 200 g chestnut mushrooms — halved
- 200 g pearl onions — skins removed
- 330 ml dark ale — one bottle
- 600 ml beef stock — hot
- 15 g tomato purée
- 15 ml Worcestershire sauce
- 4 fresh thyme — sprigs
- 1 bay leaf
- 5 ml sea salt
- 5 ml black pepper — freshly ground
- 15 g fresh parsley — roughly chopped, to finish
Equipment
- ovenproof casserole or Dutch oven
- slotted spoon
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 160°C fan/180°C conventional.
Pat the braising beef dry with kitchen paper, season with sea salt and black pepper, then toss in the plain flour to coat evenly. Shake off any excess flour.
Heat the olive oil in an ovenproof casserole over a medium–high hob. Fry the streaky bacon until golden and just crisp, about 5 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.
Increase the heat slightly and brown the beef in batches so pieces have room — don’t overcrowd the pan. Aim for a deep brown crust, about 8–10 minutes in total. Remove browned beef to a plate.
Return the bacon to the casserole, add the brown onion and garlic cloves and sweat until softened, about 4 minutes.
Add the carrots, parsnips and chestnut mushrooms and fry for about 5 minutes to start to colour the vegetables.
Stir in the tomato purée and Worcestershire sauce, then pour in the dark ale and simmer for 3 minutes to reduce slightly. Add the beef stock, fresh thyme and bay leaf and bring to a gentle simmer.
Return the beef and any resting juices to the casserole, stir gently, cover with a tight-fitting lid and transfer to the oven. Braise for 90 minutes.
Remove the casserole from the oven, add the baby potatoes and pearl onions, stir to submerge them in the liquid, re-cover and return to the oven for a further 45 minutes.
Take the casserole out of the oven. If the sauce is too thin, transfer to the hob and simmer, uncovered, for 5–8 minutes to reduce and thicken; if there is excess fat, skim it off with a spoon. Adjust seasoning with extra sea salt and black pepper if needed.
Sprinkle with chopped fresh parsley and rest, covered, for 5 minutes before serving.
Tips
- Pat the beef very dry before flouring — damp meat won’t brown properly.
- Brown the beef in batches and don’t overcrowd the pan; good colour makes the gravy.
- If you’re short on oven time, cut the beef into slightly smaller pieces so it becomes tender faster (reduce first braising time by 20 minutes and check).
- This stew freezes very well — cool completely, divide into portions and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating gently.
- For a shinier sauce, once reduced, whisk in a knob of cold butter off the heat (optional).
Substitutions
dark ale → stout (same quantity)
Stays closebraising beef → lamb shoulder, same weight
Noticeably differentplain flour → gluten-free plain flour, same quantity
Stays closebeef stock → vegetable stock, same quantity (for a lighter but different finish)
Noticeably different
Nutrition
Per serving · estimated
- 920
- Calories
- 58 g
- Protein
- 53 g
- Carbs
- 53 g
- Fat
- 8 g
- Fibre
- 8 g
- Sugar
- 900 mg
- Sodium
FAQ
Can I make this on the hob instead of in the oven?
Yes — after returning everything to the casserole, simmer very gently on the lowest hob setting, covered, for about 2–2½ hours until the beef is tender, checking occasionally and topping up with a little boiling water if the liquid gets low.
How do I thicken the gravy if it’s too thin after cooking?
Simmer uncovered on the hob for 5–10 minutes to reduce. Alternatively mix 10–15g plain flour with a splash of cold water to make a smooth paste and whisk into the hot sauce, simmering for a few minutes until thickened.
Can I use a slow cooker?
Yes — after browning the meat and veg, transfer everything to a slow cooker, add liquids and cook on low for 6–8 hours. Add baby potatoes for the final 1–1½ hours so they don’t disintegrate.
How long will leftovers keep?
Kept in an airtight container in the fridge, leftovers are good for 3–4 days. Reheat gently on the hob or in the oven until piping hot.
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