Beer Girl Cooks

Cooking & Craft Beer

stew

Beef {Beer} Bourguignon

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Beef {Beer} Bourguignon is made with beer instead of red wine for a malty flavorful twist to a delicious classic beef stew.

Beef {Beer} Bourguignon is made with beer instead of red wine for a malty flavorful twist to a delicious classic beef stew

I needed some time

When bad things happen and life sucker punches you in the gut, it takes some time to process and figure out how to accept the unacceptable.  All I can really say today is that there is no kind of heartache like losing someone you love.  It’s particularly painful when it’s senseless and unexpected.

I still need some time.

Life is fragile, friends.

Find comfort where you can.

Beef {Beer} Bourguignon
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Beef {Beer} Bourguignon

Ingredients

  • 6 - 8 pieces bacon cut into 1 inch pieces
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 1/2 - 3 pounds chuck roast cut into 1 1/2 - 2 1/2 inch cubes
  • salt and pepper
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 2 cups malty beer I used my own home brew Irish Red
  • 5 or 6 fresh thyme sprigs or use dried thyme to taste
  • 2-3 garlic cloves pealed and roughly chopped
  • 2 onions pealed and quartered
  • 3 -4 baking potatoes pealed and cut into 1 inch pieces
  • 2 cups baby carrots or 5-6 regular carrots pealed and cut into 1 inch pieces
  • 8 ounces sliced mushrooms
  • 4 tablespoons butter softened
  • 3 teaspoons flour
  • chopped parsley for garnish if desired

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 250
  2. Brown bacon in a Dutch oven or heavy bottomed pot over medium heat and set aside on a paper towel lined plate
  3. Generously salt and pepper the beef
  4. Increase heat to medium high and brown beef on all sides - work in batches and set each batch aside in a bowl - add olive oil as needed
  5. When all beef is browned add tomato paste and stir for about a minute
  6. Add beer and stir to scrape up all the brown bits
  7. Add beef and bacon back to the pot, cover and cook for 3 - 3 1/2 hours
  8. Add garlic, potatoes, carrots, and mushrooms, and bake another 45 minutes to an hour or when potatoes and carrots are fork tender
  9. Use a fork to smash flour and butter together in a bowl
  10. Transfer the stew to the stove, add flour/butter and bring to a boil
  11. Cover and reduce heat to a simmer for 10 - 15 minutes, or until liquid thickens

NOTES:

  1. Most beef bourguignon recipes use pearl onions and we don’t like them, but feel free to use them if you like them
  2. I recommend a malty beer for this recipe, such as a red or a porter
  3. Serve with bread, biscuits, or in a bread bowl and garnish with parsley
  4. A wise friend told me to hug and kiss the people you love. Do it.

Belgian Beer Conch Chowder

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Belgian Beer Conch Chowder is an easy soup with fresh conch and vegetables, a floral Belgian beer, heavy cream, and slowly simmered to a creamy perfection.

 

I’m a bit late to the party.

Belgian Beer Conch Chowder is an easy soup with fresh conch and vegetables, a floral belgian beer, heavy cream, and slowly simmered to a creamy perfection.

It’s come to my attention that January is National Soup Month, so I thought I’d come on and ride this train.  I mean, it was 77 degrees today here in Charlotte, so I can’t think of a more perfect time to have some soup.

 

 

Belgian Beer Conch Chowder is an easy soup with fresh conch and vegetables, a floral belgian beer, heavy cream, and slowly simmered to a creamy perfection.

I’m fairly certain that last weekend would have been a bit more appropriate since we were snowed in after the blizzard left us under 1.246 inches of snow.  But it is what it is and here we are.

Belgian Beer Conch Chowder is an easy soup with fresh conch and vegetables, a floral belgian beer, heavy cream, and slowly simmered to a creamy perfection.

I posted a Conch Chowder last year after I attended a really fun cooking class that started with wine at 10:30 am.  That chowder is one of my most popular posts, so I thought it was high time to update the recipe and, of course, add some beer.

If you’re looking for some more soup recipes, be sure to check out my friend, Karrie’s National Soup Month recipe roundup over at Tasty Ever After.

Belgian Beer Conch Chowder is an easy soup with fresh conch and vegetables, a floral Belgian beer, heavy cream, and slowly simmered to a creamy perfection.

Belgian Beer Conch Chowder
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Belgian Beer Conch Chowder

Ingredients

  • 1/2 pound bacon cut into 1 inch pieces
  • 2 shallots thinly sliced
  • 4 carrots diced or cut into discs
  • 1/4 cup flour
  • 2 cups vegetable stock
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 cup Belgian ale beer
  • 1 1/2 pounds conch very thinly sliced (fresh or frozen and thawed)
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • pinch of cayenne pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon thyme
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 2 medium potatoes cut into 1/2 inch pieces
  • Thyme sprigs or parsley for garnish

Instructions

  1. Cook bacon in a Dutch ovn over medium heat until crispy, remove and drain on paper towel
  2. Reserve 2 tablespoons bacon fat and discard the rest
  3. Heat the reserved bacon fat over medium heat in the same Dutch oven
  4. Add shallots and carrots, cook until soft and fragrant, 2-4 minutes
  5. Sprinkle flour over vegetables and stir allowing flour to cook for about 1 minute
  6. Add vegetable stock, water and beer, bring to a boil
  7. Add conch, cayenne, thyme, salt and pepper, reduce heat, and simmer for 2 hours
  8. Add potatoes and cook until tender, 10 minutes or so depending how big you cut them
  9. Stir in cream, adjust seasonings, and simmer a few more minutes
  10. Taste and adjust seasonings again if necessary
  11. Garnish with fresh thyme or parsley, if desired

NOTES:

  1. If you don’t know where to find conch, most grocery stores, fish markets, and specialty stores either have it or can order it for you.  Publix ordered some for me several times.
  2. Feel free to make it spicier by adding more cayenne if that makes you happy
  3. I used Weeping Willow Wit – a Belgian-style wit beer from Mother Earth Brewing in Kinston, NC. Belgian Beer Conch Chowder was a bit easier to fit into the title.

Double Chocolate Stout Irish Stew

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Yeah.  I did it again.  I just can’t help myself when it comes to double chocolate stout.

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But you can’t say I didn’t warn you the other day with the Double Chocolate Stout Bundt Cake!

 

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So when I was perusing Jennifer’s copy of Food & Wine I became inspired at the mention of Irish Stew.  I haven’t made Irish Stew in quite some time and right now it seems we are all about everything Irish for my upcoming birthday holiday upcoming St. Patrick’s Day holiday.

This Double Chocolate Stout Irish Stew was inspired by and similar to the Irish Stew in the magazine and based in part on the way I make beef stew and pot roast.

 

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Not only is is made with beer, but for the most part it is done all in one pot.  I say for the most part because if you don’t get distracted about going day drinking for a pedicure with Lisa and , you would remember to add flour when you put the meat back into the pot after deglazing.  But if you forget, no worries!  Just remove some of the broth to a saucepan, put it over some heat, and mix you up a slurry to thicken it up.  Serve it up with some crusty bread or biscuits and you are good to go!

 

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See this guy?  We had it with him.  It is a caramelized onion and gruyere biscuit posted in the recent past at Smitten Kitchen.  I highly recommend it.

Inspired by Food & Wine

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Double Chocolate Stout Irish Stew

Ingredients

  • 3-4 tablespoons olive oil
  • 3 pounds lamb shoulder cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces
  • 1 1/2 cups double chocolate stout I used Young's
  • 1 large onion diced
  • 4 garlic cloves minced
  • 2-3 small turnips peeled and cut into 1 1/2 - 2 inch pieces
  • 1/2 pound carrots peeled and cut into 1 1/2 - 2 inch pieces
  • 12 or so fingerling potatoes
  • 6 cups beef stock
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 2 sprigs rosemary
  • 4 sprigs thyme
  • salt and pepper
  • 1/3 cup milk
  • 3 tablespoons corn starch

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 325
  2. Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat, brown lamb in batches careful not to over crowd the pan or they will steam and not brown. Reserve the meat in a bowl until all is browned. 6-7 minutes per batch (I also browned the pieces of meat with the bones)
  3. Pour the beer into the pot, cook for a few minutes scraping up all the brown pieces
  4. Add the lamb with any liquid in the bowl, onions, garlic, stock, bay leaves, rosemary, thyme, salt and pepper, cover and cook in the oven 2 1/2 - 3 hours.
  5. Add the carrots, turnips, and potatoes and cook until tender, about another 45 minutes to 1 hour
  6. Remove pot from oven, take out the bay leaves, and transfer a few cups of the liquid from the pot to a saucepan over medium-high heat
  7. Mix together milk and corn starch and add to the hot liquid in a slow stream,stirring until thickened. Transfer back into the pot with the stew, stirring it in slowly until combined
  8. Serve hot with crusty bread or biscuits