Not for the faint hearted kinda' stew

Garlic Beer Beef Stew

Christmas and New Year has come and gone, time to slow down and relax. You might be feeling a little under the weather and have those ‘January Blues’. This garlic beer beef stew is just what you need as it is; robust and heart-warming.

Ingredients-serves 2 greedy food lovers:

Olive oil

Knob of butter

450g stewing steak- diced

Flour to coat the beef

1 onion- sliced

1 tbsp. of tomato puree

1 tsp of garlic paste

Handful of fresh thyme

1 bottle (500ml) of garlic beer

500ml of beef stock (add more water when and if needed)

2 celery sticks- roughly cut into chunks

2 carrots- cut diagonally into chunks

1 turnip- diced into chunks

Large sweet potato per person- cooked as a jacket potato

Salt & pepper to season

Method:

• Dust the beef in flour, salt & pepper 
• In a large pan heat the oil & butter with the thyme to release the flavour
• Add the onion, garlic and tomato puree with the beef- cook until brown
• Turn up the heat and add the garlic beer, bring to the boil and then simmer for an hour until reduced by approximately half
• Add the 500ml of beef stock and cook for a further 2 hours, checking, stirring and adding a splash of water if needed
• Now add the vegetables (you can change or add different vegetables) and cook for a further hour, adjust seasoning to taste
• The meat should fall apart, the vegetables tender and the gravy should coat the back of a spoon
• Enjoy with a succulent and sweet jacket potato.

The garlic beer and puree is produced by ‘The Garlic Farm’ on the Isle of Wight. A family run business offering an interesting and diverse range of garlic products. Check out their website for more information- http://www.thegarlicfarm.co.uk/