Meals for Under £10: Beef and Beer Casserole

SOMETIMES a traditional stew is all that’s going to hit the spot for your evening meal.

This beef and beer casserole is delicious and the addition of Tewkesbury hot mustard dumplings makes it all the better. Like any stew, this will be even better if you make it the day before and allow the flavours to develop.

Make the dumplings on the day you’re going to eat them if you can and cook when you’re re-heating the stew.

Thanks to Tracklements for today’s recipe.

You’ll need:

650g stewing beef, cubed

1 tbsp plain flour

1 onion, sliced

2 carrots, thinly sliced

1 celery stick, thinly sliced

2 fresh rosemary sprigs, roughly torn

300ml brown ale

300ml beef stock, hot

250g chestnut mushrooms

For the dumplings:

100g self-raising flour

50g light vegetable suet

1 tbsp chopped parsley

1 tsp Tracklements Tewkesbury Hot Mustard

Method:

Sprinkle the beef with the flour and plenty of salt and pepper. Heat 2 tbsp oil in a large flameproof casserole and fry the beef in 2 batches until browned, then remove. Fry the onion for 5 mins until tender.

Return the beef to the pan and add the carrot, celery and rosemary. Fry for 5-10 minutes. Add the beer and the stock and bring to the boil. Lower the heat until the stew is gently simmering. Cover tightly and simmer for 1 hour.

For the dumplings, mix all the ingredients with a good pinch of salt in a bowl. Stir in about 4-5 tbsp cold water to make a soft dough. Using a tablespoon drop spoonfuls of mixture into the simmering stew. Cover and simmer gently for 10 mins until they’ve puffed up.

Serve hot, with freshly steamed veg.