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Style Magazine

Seasonal Recipe and Beer Pairing: Beef and Guinness Stew

Beef and Guinness Stew

2 tbsp. all-purpose flour

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 lb. 2 oz. stewing steak, cut in 2-inch chunks

2 tbsp. canola oil, plus extra as needed

2 large onions, chopped

2 large carrots, peeled and chopped

1 parsnip, peeled and chopped

8 oz. Guinness

34 oz. beef stock

1 small bunch fresh thyme

An Irish Country Cookbook by Patrick Taylor and Dorothy Tinman; Forge Books 2017, $32.99

 

Season the flour well with salt and pepper and coat the steak with the seasoned flour. Heat the oil in a Dutch oven or pan with a lid over medium-hot. Gradually add the meat to the hot oil and brown on all sides. Don’t add too much at a time. When all the meat has been browned, remove it from the Dutch oven to a plate. Add the onions, carrots, and parsnip and a little oil, if necessary, to the pan. Don’t worry about the brown caramelized remains of the meat, as this all adds to the flavor. Stir the vegetables around for a few minutes and then return the meat to the pan.

Add the Guinness and cook, stirring to scrape the remains from the bottom. Add the stock and the thyme and simmer slowly for 2-3 hours. Remove the lid and the thyme stalks and cook for a further 30 minutes or so (until the liquid has reduced by about half). Serve with Yorkshire pudding and colcannon (for the recipes, visit stylergbr.com). Serves 4.

Author’s Note: I like to make the stew the previous day, because I think it improves the flavor.


Colcannon

From the Irish “cál ceannann” meaning “white-headed cabbage.” In some parts of Scotland, it’s called rumbledethumps.

1-3/4 lb. floury potatoes, peeled and quartered

4 oz. curly kale or spring cabbage

1 bunch scallions

4 oz. butter

2 slices bacon, cooked and chopped (optional)

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Chopped fresh parsley and chives

Boil the potatoes for about 15 minutes until just soft. Drain them and dry over the residual heat on the stovetop. Blanch the kale for 1 minute. Drain, then dry in a clean tea towel or on paper towels and roughly chop with the scallion (or pulse the kale and scallions in a blender for about 10 seconds).

Mash the potatoes with a potato masher (not the food processor) and add most of the butter. Stir in the kale, scallions, and bacon (if using) and season with salt and pepper to taste. Make a well in the center and drop in the remaining butter. Sprinkle chopped parsley and chives on top and serve. Serves 4-6.


Yorkshire Pudding

Yorkshire pudding is traditionally served with roast beef and is a similar batter to that used in the Toad in the Hole recipe. In poorer families, both, indeed, had a similar purpose. With the Toad, the intention was to make a small amount of meat stretch a bit further, while the Yorkshire pudding was often served before the meat course, thus providing a cheap way to take the edge off of the appetite and make the more expensive meat go further. In poorer households, the Yorkshire pudding served with gravy was often the only course. 

4 oz. all-purpose flour

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 eggs

10 oz. milk

4 Tbsp. goose fat, lard, or sunflower or canola oil

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Sift the flour and seasonings into a bowl and whisk in the eggs. Add the milk slowly and whisk until you have a smooth batter. Chill in the refrigerator until ready to use. Distribute the fat or oil evenly between the cupcake or muffin pans and heat in the oven until it’s very hot and almost smoking. Pour the batter into the pans and return to the oven. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until well risen and golden brown. (Do not open the door while the puddings are cooking or they might collapse.) Leave for a few more minutes if necessary. Prick with a toothpick to allow the steam to escape. Serve immediately. Serves 12.


Solid Ground Brewing’s Gneiss 

ABV: 4.2%
Solid Ground, a 30-barrel production brewery in Diamond Springs—owned by award-winning brewer KC Sare and award-winning winemaker Scott Johnson, both foothill natives—opened its doors last year to much pomp and circumstance. Committed to crafting both traditional and cutting-edge beers and wines, the approximately 1,500-square-foot space also serves Sunday brunch and a rotating menu featuring elevated pub fare. Though many of their alcoholic offerings are hard to pronounce—Darvaza (a double IPA), Arzelle (a Viognier-infused strong ale), and Kabru (a dry-hopped ale)—they’re very easy to drink! Gneiss (pronounced “nice” and named after a metamorphic rock found in the Giant’s Causeway in Ireland) is a dry, highly drinkable Irish stout with a light-medium body. Poured on nitro for a creamy consistency and made with a generous amount of roasted barley, it has a slight bitterness and is the perfect beverage to wash down a hearty dish, like this month’s Beef and Guinness Stew. —Eden Tuscano, 36 Handles

Sip On This

La Cantina Pizzolato, located in the Veneto region of Italy, produces the country’s number-one selling USDA Organic wines. Each bottle boasts a true taste of place, embodying the terroir on which they were born and a sense of the Pizzolato family’s commitment to live and farm in harmony with nature. For more info, visit lacantinapizzolato.com/en.

Pizzolato Fields Prosecco

ABV: 11.5%

OVERALL RATING: 3

Tasting Notes: Enticing scent of spring flowers, honey, and peaches; bright palate that’s loaded with finesse; sweet with notes of apple, lemon, and mineral alongside crisp acidity; light, elegant effervescence.  

Price: $12.99

Purchase: Whole Foods Market


Pizzolato Rosso Convento 

ABV: 12%

OVERALL RATING: 4

Tasting Notes: Aromas and flavors of mocha, whipped cream, and cherry; supple and chewy with a solid core of fruit and fine tannins; finishes with mild pepper and spice; creamy, smooth, and slightly sweet; a good everyday wine.

Price: $12.99

Purchase: Whole Foods Market