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Bryce said I could make this every night. I think that’s a high compliment.

It’s courtesy of Waitrose, an upscale British grocery store.

Beef and Ale Casserole
Choose a good, strong ale to give this rich, hearty casserole its delicious gravy. [Ashley's note, I used 2 pints of Murphy's Stout and it was delicious!]
Preparation time 30 minutes
Cooking time 2 hours 30 minutes to 3 hours
Total time: 3 hours to 3 hours 30 minutes
Serves: 8 [Ashley's note: If you've got hungry eaters, this will likely only serve about 6]
Ingredients

6 tbsp plain flour
1.5kg Aberdeen Angus leg of beef, or diced braising steak [Ashley's note: I bought London broil as we couldn't get 'leg of beef'; Bryce got the 'You must have 2 heads look' when he asked for braising steak; a cheaper cut would work great too]
5 tbsp vegetable oil
3 onions, cut into wedges
750g carrots, cut into large chunks [Ashley's note: about 6 medium sized carrots]
400g parsnips, cut into large chunks [Ashley's note: Parsnips look like white carrots and most major grocery chains should carry them. I used about 4-5]
2 x 500ml strong ale, such as Thwaites Wainwright Golden Ale [Ashley's note: we used Murphy's
¼ x 15g pack fresh thyme
2-3 bay leaves, torn

1. Preheat the oven to 170°C, gas mark 3, 325F. Place the flour either into a clean plastic food bag or onto a plate and season generously. Then, in batches, lightly dust the beef in the flour, shaking off any excess. Heat 1-2 tbsp of the oil in a large ovenproof and flameproof casserole dish with a lid. Fry the beef in 2-3 batches and cook for 1-2 minutes on each side, until browned all over. Transfer all the meat to a plate and set aside. Repeat with the remaining meat, adding more oil as needed.
2. Heat the remaining oil and add the onions to the casserole dish with the carrots and parsnips. Sauté over a low heat for 5-6 minutes or until they are beginning to colour.
3. Return the beef to the casserole, pour in the ale and stir occasionally until it reaches boiling point. Add the fresh thyme and the bay leaves. Cover and cook in the oven for 2-2½ hours, or until the meat is very tender and the carrots are tender, then serve with the Leek And Mustard Mash.
Leek and Mustard Mash
[Ashley's note: I *loved* this mash, perhaps more than the meat and slow-cooked veg. I'd add a bit more mustard than recommended and if you like it tangy, perhaps a dash of balsamic vinegar. I also added 1/2 milk and 1/2 heavy cream where it calls for milk and some butter to the mash.]

Rich, buttery mash stirred through with softened leeks and punchy wholegrain mustard – this is the perfect dish for soaking up all that wonderful ale gravy.

Preparation time 10 minutes
Cooking time 20 minutes
Total time: 30 minutes
Serves: 8
Ingredients

2kg floury potatoes, such as Red King Edwards
50g butter [roughly 1/3 of one stick]
400g leeks, washed and shredded [about 2 leeks]
6 tbsp milk
2tbsp Wholegrain Mustard

1. Peel the potatoes and cut into even-sized chunks, then cook in a large saucepan of boiling water with the lid on for 20 minutes, or until tender when pierced with a knife. Remove from the heat and drain thoroughly. Leave for 5 minutes with the lid off.
2. Meanwhile, in a frying pan melt the butter and add the shredded leeks. Cook for 5-6 minutes until softened and beginning to colour. Mash the potatoes then, using a wooden spoon, beat the potatoes until smooth before adding the leeks with the milk and wholegrain mustard. Season to taste.

Original recipes with pictures can be found here and here.

Let me know if you try it and what you think!

This entry was posted by Ashley on Thursday, October 16th, 2008 at 2:42 pm. This entry was tagged with recipe. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.