Beer Braised Beef with Cheddar Dumplings Recipe

"Truly comfort food. Other than onions - don't expect any other vegetables in this dish. Since the dish is very rich, I prefer to serve this with some grilled cabbage and a creamy dressing on the side. Grilled cabbage is a nice alternative to a salad; still crisp, but lightly warm. This is an easy dish to prepare, however it does need to cook low and slow to allow the beef to get tender. And have fun with different cheeses for the dumplings - I happen to use a mix of a white Vermont sharp cheddar and a mild cheddar, but use your favorites."

Step by Step Method

Step 1

Beef ... Add the oil to a large (oven proof, if possible) pot and bring to medium high heat. Season the beef cubes with salt and pepper and add to the pot; and saute on each side until the beef is golden brown - you may need to cook in batches, you don't want to over crowd the pan. If over crowded, the meat will tend to steam and not brown. Once the meat is done, set off to the side while you prepare the base of the sauce.

Step 2

Base ... To that same pot, add the bacon, reduce to medium, and cook 4-5 minutes until the bacon has rendered, but not quite done (brown and crisp). Then, add in the onions and mix well to cover all the onions in the bacon drippings, and cook a couple of minutes.

Step 3

Stew ... Add the flour to the onions and mix to combine the flour into the onion and bacon mixture - cook just a minute. Then, add in the beer, scraping up any bits on the bottom. Next, add in the worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, broth, bay leaves, thyme, cooked beef, and stir to combine. Turn up the heat to medium high and bring to a light boil.

Step 4

Simmer ... This can be done either in the oven, which I prefer; or on the stove top. In the oven 325, middle shelf in the covered pot - or stove top, low heat covered. It should take about 1 1/2 hours (depending on how big the pieces of stew meat are). Make sure to stir it half way through cooking.

Step 5

Dumplings ... Your dumplings will take about 20 minutes, so once your beef is just about done, you need to add the dumplings. At this point you should have enough moisture in the pot, but if it seems a bit dry, you could add a little water. There is enough flavor, so a little water would be fine to add. Add, the parsley and mix well. Then, mix the flour, butter, egg and cheese together in a small bowl. Then, drop the dumpling mix to the stew by spoonfuls, and put back in the oven with the cover off. Cook, 15-25 minutes until the dumplings have risen and cooked through.