Ireland #6

I have been wanting to make beef stew this whole winter, but I never got around to it. When I saw this recipe in The Irish Spirit, I decided this is my chance to finally make a beef stew. I was immediately drawn to it because it had dark beer, which I love, and a cheddar cobbler on top. I usually serve my beef stew over egg noodles, but I liked how this almost became a pot pie. As I was browsing through the Irish cheeses, I found an Irish Whiskey Cheddar, which sounded interesting and delicious. I decided to use that instead of the Kerrygold Cheddar the recipe called for.

I added 1 cup of frozen peas to this because I love peas in my beef stew, and I even put the celery in just for JJ (but I left it in large chunks so I could pull it out). The recipe can be made in about 1.5 hours, but on a weeknight, I don’t have that time. I made the beef stew mixture on the stove at lunch as the recipe specifies (minus the peas so they didn’t get mushy and brown), and then put it in the crock pot. I let it cook on high for 4 hours, but it could be left on low for 8 hours, or it can be made the way the recipe specifies, it makes no difference. Then, when I came home after work, all I had to make were the cheese cobbler biscuits. I put the stew in a casserole dish, then topped it with the cobbler and baked it. This did end up in me having to clean out 3 pots/dishes, but the stew was so delicious, I didn’t mind at all. I halved the cobbler and the amount of beef in the dish.

Beef in Ale with Cheese Cobbler

Casserole:

2 tbsp. Flour for dredging

Salt and pepper

1 1/2 lbs. beef, cubed

2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

1 onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 carrots, diced

2 celery stalks, diced

2 tbsp. tomato paste

1 tbsp. worstershire sauce

1 15 oz. can beef stock

2 cups Guiness

1 sprig thyme

Cobbler:

2 cups self rising flour

½ tsp. dry mustard

SaltPepper

3 tbsp. Kerrygold Irish butter

1 cup Kerrygold Irish Cheddar

1/2 cup water

1/2 tsp. tobasco

1 tbsp. milk

In a plastic bag, combine four, salt and pepper, and beef. Shake to dregdge beef, set aside.

In a large skillet over medium heat, add olive oil and beef. brown on all sides. Add onion, garlic, carrots, and celery. Saute' for 2-3 minutes.

Add ale, stock, broth, tomato paste, worstershire sauce, and thyme. Bring to a boil, and reduce heat. Cook for 30 minutes. Transfer to the casserole dish.

To make the cobbler, sift the flour and mustard together, season with salt and pepper. Add the butter and mix until butter is in crumbs. Add the cheese, tobasco, and water until a dough forms. Transfer the dough to a floured surface. Roll to 1/2" thick, cut into rounds. Arrange on top of the meat mixture, brush with milk, and bake for 30 minutes until the top is golden.

Recipe taken from

The Irish Spirit, Margaret M. Johnson. Chronicle Books: San Francisco, 2006.