Slow-braised beef and ale stew

‘This is a really hearty dish. It’s easy to do at home but special enough that you can serve it at a dinner party.’

📝 Ingredients

• 2-3 tbsp rapeseed oil
• 1 x 160g pack Taste the Difference Smoked Bacon Lardons
• 1.5 kg diced beef shin
• 2 large carrots, sliced into rounds
• 2 echalion shallots, diced
• 3 garlic cloves, crushed
• 6 sprigs parsley
• 500 ml malty English ale (e.g. porter or stout)
• 450 ml rich beef stock
• 1 tbsp tomato purée
• 2 bay leaves
• 60 g unsalted butter
• 3 tbsp plain flour
• 200 g button mushrooms, halved
• 1 x 230g jar silverskin onions (drained weight)
• creamy mashed potatoes (optional)

👨‍🍳 Instructions

1. 1Preheat the oven to 160°C, fan 140°C, gas 3. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large flameproof casserole or ovenproof sauté pan over a medium heat. Fry the bacon lardons until golden and crisp (about 8-10 minutes), then remove with a slotted spoon onto a plate.
2. 2Increase the heat to high and brown the beef in the bacon fat in 3-4 batches (about 5 minutes per batch). Add a further tablespoon of oil, as necessary. Season well and set aside.
3. 3Reduce the heat and sauté the carrots and shallots for 5 minutes until softened. Stir in the garlic and cook for a further 5 minutes. Meanwhile, separate the parsley stalks and leaves. Deglaze the veg with the ale, scraping the base of the pan. Pour over the beef stock and stir in the tomato purée, bay leaves and parsley stalks (keep the leaves for garnish). Return the bacon, beef and resting juices to the pan. Gradually bring to a simmer.
4. 4Meanwhile, melt the butter in a separate small pan, then stir in the flour to make a roux. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring. Stir into the simmering stew. Cover with a lid and transfer to the oven for 2 hours.
5. 5Towards the end of cooking, heat the remaining oil in a frying pan. Sauté the mushrooms and silverskin onions over a medium-high heat until golden and the liquid has evaporated (about 8-10 minutes). After 2 hours, remove the stew from the oven, stir in the mushrooms and onions, and return to the oven, uncovered, for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and leave to stand for 5-10 minutes, then remove the bay leaves and parsley stalks. Scatter the reserved parsley over the stew, then serve with creamy mash, if liked.