Bonfire Night warming beef and ale stew
Rich, smoky beef and ale stew with chestnut mushrooms and root veg — a proper warming bowl for chilly Bonfire Night gatherings.
If Bonfire Night means you want something smoky, filling and straightforward, this beef and ale stew is your answer. It’s the sort of bowl that warms fingers and fills bellies after a night of sparklers and woolly hats.
The trick is browning the beef properly and letting it simmer gently in ale and stock so the sauce goes deep and glossy. Mushroom and root veg keep it grounded and undeniably British — perfect with crusty bread or mashed potato.
Ingredients
- 800 g stewing beef
- 30 g plain flour
- sea salt — to taste
- black pepper — freshly ground, to taste
- 30 ml vegetable oil
- 2 brown onion — medium
- 3 garlic cloves — crushed
- 300 g carrots — peeled and cut into chunks
- 200 g parsnips — peeled and cut into chunks
- 400 g potatoes — waxier variety, halved or quartered
- 200 g chestnut mushrooms — halved or quartered if large
- 330 ml ale — a bottle — best with a malty ale for depth
- 700 ml beef stock — preferably hot when added
- 15 ml tomato purée
- 15 ml Worcestershire sauce
- 4 thyme sprigs
- 2 bay leaves
- 5 ml smoked paprika
- 5 ml English mustard powder
- 10 g cornflour — for a slurry with cold water
- 5 ml brown sugar
- 15 g fresh parsley — chopped, to finish
Equipment
- large heavy-based casserole (or Dutch oven)
- tongs
- wooden spoon
Instructions
Trim any large lumps of fat from the stewing beef and pat the meat dry on kitchen paper. Cut into roughly 3 cm cubes. Season with sea salt and black pepper, then toss the beef in the plain flour so each piece has a light dusting; shake off any excess flour.
Heat half the vegetable oil in a large heavy-based casserole over a high hob setting. Brown the beef in batches so the pieces have space — do not crowd the pan. Brown each batch for 3–4 minutes until a deep colour forms; transfer browned beef to a plate and repeat with remaining beef, adding the rest of the oil if needed.
Reduce the hob to medium. Add the brown onion and garlic cloves to the casserole and sweat for 5–6 minutes until soft and translucent, scraping any browned bits from the base of the pan with the back of a wooden spoon.
Stir in the carrots and parsnips, then add the smoked paprika and English mustard powder. Cook for a further 4–5 minutes to begin caramelising the vegetables.
Return all the beef to the casserole. Pour in the ale and use a wooden spoon to scrape every brown scrap from the base; bring to a gentle bubble and simmer for about 6–8 minutes to allow the alcohol to reduce slightly.
Add the beef stock, tomato purée, Worcestershire sauce, thyme sprigs, bay leaves, potatoes, brown sugar and a grind of black pepper. Bring to the boil, then reduce to the lowest hob setting, cover with a tight-fitting lid and simmer gently for 2 hours (120 minutes) until the beef is meltingly tender.
With about 10 minutes left on the timer, add the chestnut mushrooms and simmer uncovered so they cook through and the sauce reduces slightly.
Make a slurry by whisking the cornflour with 2–3 tbsp cold water until smooth. Stir the slurry into the bubbling stew and simmer for 2–3 minutes until the sauce thickens and becomes glossy. Taste and adjust seasoning with sea salt and black pepper, removing thyme stalks and bay leaves before serving.
Stir through the chopped fresh parsley and ladle the stew into bowls. Serve hot with crusty bread or mashed potato if you like.
Tips
- Don’t rush the browning: work in batches and get a good dark crust on the beef for real depth of flavour.
- Use hot stock when you add it to the casserole — it brings everything back up to temperature faster and keeps the simmer steady.
- If the stew is too thin at the end, mix an extra 10 g cornflour with cold water and simmer for a couple of minutes; if it’s too thick, loosen with a splash of stock.
- Make ahead advantage: the stew improves after a day in the fridge — reheat gently on the hob and add a splash of stock if the sauce has set.
- To freeze: cool completely, freeze in portions for up to 3 months. Defrost overnight in the fridge and reheat slowly on the hob.
Substitutions
ale → stout or porter, same quantity
Stays closestewing beef → diced lamb shoulder, same quantity
Noticeably differentplain flour → extra cornflour for dusting (use 30 g), but browning will be slightly less crisp
Noticeably differentcornflour → plain flour mixed with cold water (double the quantity by weight) to thicken
Stays close
Nutrition
Per serving · estimated
- 470
- Calories
- 35 g
- Protein
- 26 g
- Carbs
- 25 g
- Fat
- 6 g
- Fibre
- 6 g
- Sugar
- 750 mg
- Sodium
FAQ
Can I make this in a slow cooker?
Yes. Brown the beef and sweat the onions on the hob first, then transfer everything to the slow cooker and cook on low for 6–8 hours or on high for 4–5 hours.
How do I make this gluten-free?
Use a gluten-free ale or replace the ale with extra beef stock and omit the plain flour (use cornflour for thickening). Check Worcestershire sauce for gluten or use a gluten-free alternative.
What’s the best cut of beef for this stew?
Tougher, well-marbled cuts such as chuck, braising steak or stewing beef are ideal — they break down during the long simmer and become meltingly tender.
Why has my stew become greasy on top after chilling?
Fat solidifies when chilled — remove the hardened fat with a spoon before reheating. Leaving a little fat improves flavour and mouthfeel.
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