Recipe: Steak and Mushroom Stew

This English version of Steak and Mushroom Stew is a hearty meal … served with warm fresh bread and side salad… an easy meal to prepare… perfect for a fall night.

TIPS

I use sirloin beef for this stew meat… the meat, when cooked at a low simmer is melt in your mouth tender.

You can start this meal in a pot on the stove and then transfer it to a crock pot to finish cooking or just cook it on top of the stove… either way works fine.

I used about a tablespoon of my Cajun seasoning mix… before you dismiss this.. my seasoning mix contains salt, oregano, paprika, cayenne, black pepper, white pepper, garlic powder and onion powder…. nothing too exotic. After cooking for hours you really can’t taste each individual spice.. it blends into the pot… trust me on this one…

I make up a jar of the spice blend and use it in many meals.. this is one of them.

If you chose not use my seasoning mix... season with your own seasoning to your taste.

I used Guinness Draught for the dark beer… you can use another dark beer if you prefer.

Try this …. an outstanding English stew.







Recipe: Steak and Mushroom Stew

All you need:

4 slices thick sliced bacon, cut into ½ inch pieces
About 2 pounds sirloin beef stew meat
1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning See TIPS
1 cup chopped onions
2 large garlic cloves, finely diced
1 pkg. (8 oz.) mushrooms, sliced
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
Sprinkling of salt
Sprinkling of black pepper
3 tablespoons flour
1 bottle (11.2 oz) Guinness Draught (dark beer)
2 cups beef stock
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon dried thyme
Chopped fresh parsley

All you need to do:

In a large pot, cook the bacon over medium high heat until light brown and fat has rendered but bacon is NOT crisp. Remove the bacon to drain on a plate lined with paper towels.

Season the beef with the Cajun seasoning. Add the beef in batches to the hot bacon fat in the pot. Brown on all sides and remove to a plate before adding next batch of beef. Repeat until all the beef is browned. Remove the beef to the plate.

Add the onions and cook for about 2 minutes, then add the chopped garlic. Cook for another couple of minutes until onions are soft.

Add the mushrooms and cook until the mushrooms are soft, about 5 minutes.

Add the salt, pepper, Worcestershire sauce and flour. Stir well.

Add the beer and beef stock and mix well, scrape any bits off the bottom of the pot.

Add the beef back into the pot. Add the bay leaf, thyme and some chopped parsley (about 1 tablespoon).

Bring pot to a low simmer and simmer for 2 hours and add the bacon back into the pot.

Continue to simmer for another ½ - 1 hour until meat is extremely tender.

Remove the bay leaf and adjust seasoning.

Ladle into soup bowls or plates and sprinkle with fresh chopped parsley.