Brown Ales and Beef Stew

With the colder weather coming in the fall and winter months, it gives cooks a chance to pair up favorite beverages with home-cooked food. Cold weather beverages are usually filling, robust and a little on the heavy side to keep you satisfied. A good winter menu pairing is a brown ale beer and a beef stew. For the kids, serve the beef stew with a glass of milk.

Brown Ales

Deep and dark ales are a perfect winter-style beer with its malty and rich flavors. Ales have a rich aroma that welcomes the drinker, and is perfect for pairing with a hearty stew. Some brown ales have a very slight sweetness to them while others can be found a bit bitter for those who enjoy a little bitterness in their ales. No matter which ale is being poured, all are good served with roast meats and also grilled items, like steak and poultry.

Ales can also be used to cook with, giving richness and body to sauces and crock-pot style stews. Use a bit of ale in place of some of the beef stock or liquid called for in the recipe. Examples of popular brown ales include Newcastle Brown Ale and Pete's Wicked Ale, among others.

Dutch Oven Cooked Beef Stew Recipe

Brown ales go good with beef stew, and the following recipe is cooked in a dutch oven on the stove top. To save time, prepare a favorite crock-pot beef stew recipe to serve on a busy weeknight and serve with a brown ale.

Dutch Oven Beef Stew

This recipe can be served with any of the choices above. It is a rich and full flavored stew, but easy to put together.

1 1/2 pounds cubed beef, like boneless chuck
5 slices bacon, chopped
1 1/2 cups chopped yellow onion
4 potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 cup chopped tomatoes
3 carrots, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 cups beef broth
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp thyme
1/4 tsp dry mustard powder
1/8 tsp marjoram

In a Dutch oven, brown the bacon over medium heat until browned. Remove with a slotted spoon and transfer to a bowl. Add in the beef cubes and brown on all sides. Add in the onions and continue to cook for a few minutes until the onions are softened. Add in the beef broth and seasonings, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about an hour. Add in the chopped potatoes, carrots and celery and continue to cook for another hour to hour and a half until the beef is tender and the vegetables have been cooked through. Check seasonings and adjust if necessary. Serve.