Tender beef and ale stew
Delicious comfort food!
15 mins
10 Hours
254 kcals
serves 6
TENDER BEEF AND ALE STEW
When I was 21 I got a surprise package on my doorstep, and it was a slow cooker. There was no ‘from’ message, but I soon figured out that it was my lovely Grandma who had sent it to me. The very first thing that I cooked in it was beef and ale stew, and I would definitely say that over the years it is the thing that I have cooked in it the most frequently. It’s just simple, tasty comfort food, and the slow cooker will turn the toughest of beef into melt-in-your mouth tenderness.
My much-loved Grandma died 5 years ago on January the 11th and I still miss her so much, but serving this up in her old Le Creuset pan gives me a nice warm feeling inside. She would have served this with roast potatoes and baked beans, an unusual but incredibly tasty combination!
I’ve counted the ale as 10 syns for 500ml, but it does depend which one you have.
Ingredients
- 700 g lean casserole steak/stewing steak
- 3 onions finely chopped
- 3 sticks celery finely chopped
- 3 carrots chopped into small chunks
- 500 ml ale
- 2 bay leaves
- 500 g passata crushed tomatoes
- 1 tbsp tomato puree
- 1 tbsp plain flour
- 1 beef stock cube
- salt and pepper
- Low calorie cooking spray
Instructions
- Fry the onions in low calorie cooking spray until softened (about 7 minutes) and add the celery, stir fry for a couple more minutes.
- Add the beef (having removed any visible fat) and fry gently until browned on the outside
- Add in the flour, and stir through to coat the beef.
- Pour in the ale and bring to a simmer.
- Add the passata, tomato puree, crumbled beef stock cube and carrot. Season with salt and pepper and add the bay leaves.
- Transfer to the slow cooker and cook on high for 6 hours, or low for 10-12 hours
