Beer for dinner!

Ok, well, not exactly. I don't drink the stuff, I think it's nasty. However I love to cook with it. Here are two of my favorite beer based recipes and I love them together. This is probably my favorite cold weather meal. It's also great left over. I prefer the bread toasted after the first day, it's fantastic with real butter. My hubby drinks Newcastle usually but I prefer to cook with Killians Irish Red if we have it, that's what I used in the photos below.

Beef stew: Here are the veggies I like in my stew. Of course you have the obvious: carrots, potatoes, and onion, but I like a different twang. I like the peppery zip that turnips add (they're on the left, the white veggie under the carrots and potatoes). I also like the sweetness of parsnips (that's the ivory chunks in the center). Last but not least I love the meatiness and the texture of portabella mushrooms (that pile is two caps, I don't remove the ribbing because I am too lazy and I like the dark color anyway).I use plain old stew meat, pre-cut and trimmed. I mix about 1/4 cup of flour with black pepper, salt, and some Old World seasoning from Penzeys. Throw the meat in the bag and shake away until coated.

Heat some olive oil and a tablespoon of butter in a dutch oven and add the meat, brown on all sides, but don't stress about it. The butter/oil will make a roux in the bottom of the pot, mix it around a bit and add a bottle of beer and a can of tomato sauce. Stir a little to mix it all in and then add all of your veggies. Now add enough beef broth to almost cover your veggies. Give it one final stir and put on the cover. When it starts to boil turn the heat down so you've got a nice gentle simmer.

Give it a good 2-3 hours, stirring whenever you remember to. When you're ready to eat check the consistency. If it's too thick or thin you can add more broth to thin or remove some liquid to a bowl and add corn starch, mix and add the paste back into the pot, bring to a boil and stir. It'll thicken up, repeat if needed. Mine usually doesn't need any adjustments but if you're veggie amount is off you may need to. No biggie. Ta-Da! Beef stew!

Now for the bread!

I can not stress enough how easy and delicious this is. I got the recipe from Cook's Country magazine and the only thing I do differently is use a stronger beer than they suggest. The only thing bad about this recipe is that the cheese is very expensive. It's in the fancy cheese section of the grocery store and it's usually about $9 for 8oz. In our house this bread is a special treat.

Beer-Batter Cheese Bread
8 oz Gruyere cheese (1/2 shredded, and half cut into small cubes)
3 c all purpose flour
3 T sugar
4 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 bottle of beer (they say light bodied, I say Killians)
4 T melted butter (they say unsalted, I say bring it)

Preheat to 375. Grease a loaf pan. Combine dry ingredients, stir in beer, and mix. Pour into loaf pan, spread to corners. Drizzle melted butter over the top. Bake until deep golden brown, check with a toothpick but make sure you're not in a cheese pocket, 45-50 minutes. They say cool completely. I say serve warm so the cheese is a little gooey and butter melts when you spread it.

Enjoy your beer based dinner!