This slow cooker Beef and Ale stew is the most comforting, and nourishing winter dish. And it’s so quick and easy to throw together before heading out and enjoying your day.
This recipe was originally published in May 2013.
Probably my favourite thing in my foodie world at this time of year is my slow cooker.
I love how it transforms cheap, gnarly cuts of {quality} meat into the most decadent and delightful heroes of a dish.
I love how it save me time, and headspace, by simply chucking a bunch of flavours in, then a few hours later dishing up a nutritious dinner.
And I really love how meat can be transformed into the softest, tenderest morsel, no molly coddling necessary.
If you share my love of all things slow cooker/crockpot, then do add this simple recipe to your arsenal. The beef softens and tenderises to the point of just falling apart, and the ale thickens into a deeply flavourful gravy.
In a perfect world I’d serve this slow cooker beef and ale stew with a big dollop of buttery mashed potatoes.
However in my low-carb world I opted for a big serving of Brussels sprouts.
Green beans would also work well.
Ingredient Tips for Slow Cooker Beef and Ale Stew
Beef
I used shin of beef from my local butcher, which was lightly marbled with fat. This is perfect for this style of cooking, as it renders down into a deeply rich gravy.
In the recipe below I brown the beef and bacon first by searing in a very hot frying pan. However, if you’re making this stew whilst camping (like I am in the video below!), or you’re short on time, then feel free to skip this step. The stew will still taste fabulous!
Ale
As always, support your local brewers wherever possible. I plumped for Winters Knight, a seasonal brew from Castle Brewery, Lostwithial, after chatting to them at my local farmers market.
Try various ales and see how you like the differences. A dark treacly stout would give you a very different gravy to a light and hoppy ale. However I’m betting that both would be utterly delicious!
Bacon
Use either smoked streaky bacon, or lardons. Please choose ‘Free Range, Organic or RSPCA Assured’ pork. Pigs are some of the most abused animals in our food chain. We have the power to change this by choosing to spend our grocery budget with awareness and compassion.
Garlic (optional)
I know not everyone loves garlic as much as me, so feel free to omit if you’re not a fan.
And whilst a whole head of garlic sounds a lot, don’t panic! When garlic is cooked in this way it softens beautifully and mellows dramatically.
Bovril (optional)
Here in the UK we have a thick, salty, beef paste called Bovril. It is one of my guilty pleasures, either spread on hot buttered toast, or served as mug of ‘beef tea’ to warm me up when camping. If you like/can find Bovril and wish to use it in this stew, simply stir in two heaped teaspoons at the same time as the cornflour slurry goes in.
Taste and season with black pepper to suit your taste.
Please note, as Bovril is very salty, you probably won’t need to add any extra salt to the stew.
Gravy powder (optional)
Another option for seasoning is to replace the salt, pepper and cornflour with a beef gravy powder. I would try a heaped tablespoon of gravy powder to start with. Stir until thickened, taste, then add extra seasoning if you feel it needs it.
You could also use a stock cube, although you may still need the cornflour to thicken the gravy.
A warming and nutritious winter stew that is so easy to throw together
- 750 g beef diced
- 4 slices thick bacon or 90g lardons
- 2 large onion
- 8 cloves garlic
- 500 ml ale
- 2 tsp cornflour mix with a little cold water before pouring into the stew to prevent it going lumpy.
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- In a large pan, melt a little butter or oil until it is shimmering. Add the beef in batches, and as it browns, move it over into the slow cooker.
- Roughly chop the bacon and brown that too.
- When all the meat is nestled in the slow cooker, boil the kettle & add a good splosh of hot water to deglaze the pan. Scrape & stir well to get all the lovely gooey, caramelised bits off the bottom of the pan. Pour this liquid to the slow cooker too.
Peel each garlic clove (leaving them whole) and chop the onions into large chunks.
Add them both to the meat mixture and stir well.
Pour in the beer, stir well and pop on the lid.
- Cook on high for 4-6 hours or low for 8-10 hours. There is no trick to the timing, that's the beauty of the slow cooker, plan it around your day. It won't burn or dry out.
Ten minutes before you're ready to eat, stir in the cornflour mixture to thicken. Pop on the lid and let cook a little longer to thicken the sauce.
Serve with a big pile of buttery mash and some fresh, steamed spinach or green beans.
Gary Nowell says
Deffo on the to do list, many thanks
Jane Sarchet says
Good choice! It’s scrummy!
Janie x