Name: Beef and ale casserole recipe
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 3 h 30 min
Total time: 3 h 50 min
Yield: Serves: 4–6
Ingredients: 3 tbsp vegetable oil; 2 onions, sliced; 2 cloves garlic, crushed; 450g carrots, peeled and sliced; 1 kg stewing beef, cut into 2cm chunks; Few sprigs of fresh thyme, parsley and rosemary; 2 bay leaves; 750ml ale or beer; 125ml hot beef stock; Salt and freshly ground black pepper

By Jessica Ransom

published 11 March 2013

For centuries people have been cooking meats in ale or beer. The flavours go so well together and you can use any beer or ale in this recipe. Beef and ale casserole is a very rustic recipe, easy to make and ideal for any occasion – mid week meal, weekend dinner and makes a great meal if you have friends coming over for an informal gathering. Cooked for 3.5 hours in the slow cooker, ensures the beef is extra tender. This recipe would work just as well with lamb.

Read our tried and tested reviews of the best slow cookers.

Ingredients

3 tbsp vegetable oil
2 onions, sliced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
450g carrots, peeled and sliced
1 kg stewing beef, cut into 2cm chunks
Few sprigs of fresh thyme, parsley and rosemary
2 bay leaves
750ml ale or beer
125ml hot beef stock
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

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Method

Preheat oven to 160⁰C/325⁰F/140⁰C/Gas Mark 3.
Heat the oil in a large casserole dish or deep sauté pan over a medium heat.
Add the onions, garlic and carrots and fry until they just begin to colour. Lift out and drain.
Add the beef in two batches and brown evenly. Add the onions, garlic and carrots. Remove the pan from the heat.
Tie the herbs together with a piece of string and add to the pan.
Pour in the beer or ale and stock. Season with the salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Stir well together then cook in the oven for 3 – 3 ½ hours until the beef is very tender.

Top Tip for making Beef and ale casserole

You can use lager in this dish if you do not have beer or ale – alternatively Guinness works very well too.

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Jessica currently works as a Senior Food Writer at Future. She writes food and drink-related news stories and features, curates product pages, tests, and reviews equipment, and also develops recipes that she styles on food shoots. An enthusiastic, self-taught cook Jess adores eating out and sharing great food and drink with friends and family. She has completed the Level 1 Associate course at the Academy of Cheese and is continually building on her knowledge of beers, wines, and spirits.