Beef and Beer Slow Cooker Stew

The Christmas decorations are put away, post-traumatic stress from Christmas traffic is starting to fade and most people are breathing a sigh of relief that the chaos of the holiday season has come to an end. It is the perfect time to finally relax, with a tall glass of brew and a nice and hearty, easy to make Beef and Beer, stew! I do not know about you, but stews and soups are some of my favorite comfort foods to make and eat when the weather is cold, and the days are still short.

On the other hand, my favorite comfort beverage to have…All the time, is beer. One thing that makes this stew special, is that you can incorporate your own homebrew but it but still turns out awesome with commercially produced beer, as well. So, if you are like me, and you also have “excellent taste”, follow along and give this recipe a try! You will not be sorry.

Here is what you will need:

4 slices of bacon- browned and drained on a paper towel.

2 Lbs of beef stew meat, cubed.

Salt to taste

Pepper to taste

2 tablespoons of butter

2 cups carrots peeled and cut into approximately ¼ inch thick rings.

1 medium yellow or red onion, chopped evenly.

3-4 cloves of garlic minced finely.

1-2 bay leaves (you could also use other herbs here if you prefer)

1 teaspoon dried thyme.

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

2 cups of a beer of your choice (I recommend using one with a moderate to low hop presence)

2 Tablespoons corn starch

¼ cup of water

Slow Cooker

How to make it:

1) Add the butter to a medium-sized skillet on medium heat, and cook the beef through until lightly browned, discarding excess liquid as needed. Once cooked, season with a couple of pinches of salt and pepper, but not too much as we will season it again, later.

2) Next, transfer the cooked and drain beef to a 5 Qt slow cooker. Add the carrots, bacon, onion, garlic, and bay leaf. In a separate bowl, combine the beer, Worcestershire sauce and thyme then pour over beef and vegetables in the slow cooker.

3) Cover and cook on low for 5-1/2 to 6 hours or until meat and vegetables are tender. Remove bay leaves.

4) After cooking time has elapsed, combine cornstarch and ¼ cup water until no longer clumpy. Gradually stir into the slow cooker. Cover, and allow the mixture to thicken for 30 more minutes. You can add up to 1 more tablespoon of cornstarch if you need the stew to be thicker. Once thickened, season with salt and pepper to taste. You could also add other spices, I love a little hot sauce!

The best way to serve this stew is with your own homemade Trub bread! You can find that recipe in the blog!

You can also enjoy this over noodles or rice with a sprinkle of your favorite cheese!

So, what are you waiting for? Fire up that crockpot, chop some veggies and make some BEEF AND BEER STEW!!

*Takes a bit bite of stew* “OOH hot”  

CHEERS!

Ashley