Beer-braised beef chuck with bacon and mushrooms – autumn slow cooking at its best.
Beer-braised beef with mushrooms and bacon – a wonderful autumn casserole of melt-in-the-mouth beef, carrots and plenty of fresh thyme. The sauce takes its depth from beer, bacon and beef stock, lifted by a welcome freshness from Dijon mustard and cider vinegar. It is rich and creamy without being heavy – truly excellent autumn food.
I use chuck, which I cut into large cubes and brown really well. Chuck is ideal for braising, because the long cooking makes the meat juicy and completely tender. Beef shoulder (blade) works just as well – what matters most is that the meat gets the time it needs.
Before the meat goes into the pot, I fry the bacon until crisp and golden. I set it aside and then brown the beef in the same pot, so all the good flavour from the bacon stays in there.
Once the meat is browned, I fry the onion and garlic in a little butter together with the Dijon mustard. The flour is stirred in and later helps give the sauce a lovely consistency. Then I pour in the beer and whisk the sauce smooth, before the beef stock, bacon, meat and plenty of fresh thyme go back into the pot.
And then time really just does the work. The dish simmers with the lid on for around 3 hours, until the meat is completely tender. Do give it longer if it needs it – with braising, it is the meat and not the clock that decides.
Carrots and butter-fried mushrooms at the end
Once the meat is tender, I take the lid off and add the carrots, cut into chunky pieces. They simmer along until tender but still with a little texture. That way they keep more bite and freshness than if they simmered for the full three hours.
I also add a little cream to the sauce, while frying the mushrooms separately in butter and fresh thyme in a pan alongside. I used chestnut mushrooms and king oyster mushrooms, but do use whichever mushrooms you like best. Frying them separately gives them plenty of colour and roasted flavour before they are folded into the finished beef casserole.
Finally I season the sauce with cider vinegar. That small touch of acidity really makes a difference and lifts the deep sauce of beer, bacon and beef. If the sauce needs a little more body, it can be adjusted with a little cornflour mixed with cold water.
Serve the braised beef with creamy mashed potatoes, boiled potatoes, rice or roasted root vegetables, and top with fresh parsley or a little extra thyme if you like.
This is the kind of casserole that mostly just looks after itself – and meanwhile the smell of beef, bacon, beer and thyme fills the whole kitchen. Proper autumn food, perfect for both a cosy weekend dinner and for guests.
Beer-braised beef with mushrooms and bacon
Ingredients
- 200 g bacon, diced
- 1,4 kg beef chuck, in large cubes
- 25 g butter
- 2 onions, finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 2 tsp Dijon mustard
- 3 tbsp plain flour
- 400 ml beer – not too dark
- 600 ml beef stock
- 7 sprigs thyme, leaves only
- 2 large carrots, sliced
- 100 ml cream whipping cream (38% fat)
- 300 g mixed mushrooms, sliced
- 25 g butter
- Cornflour + cold water
- Cider vinegar
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
- Oil
Serving suggestions
- Mashed potatoes or boiled potatoes
- Rice
- Roasted root vegetables
- Extra fresh thyme for the top or
- parsley
Method
- Heat a little oil in a large pot and fry the bacon until golden over a medium heat. Set it aside.
- In the same pot, brown the meat well on all sides. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper. Set the meat aside on a plate.
- Melt the butter in the same pot and fry the onion and garlic until the onion is soft and translucent. Stir in the Dijon mustard and the flour, then pour in the beer. Whisk the sauce until it is free of lumps and let it bubble for a moment.
- Add the stock and return the meat and bacon to the pot. Add the thyme, put the lid on and let the dish simmer over a low heat for about 3 hours.
- Remove the lid, add the carrots and let the dish continue to simmer, uncovered – until the carrots are tender.
- Add the cream and thicken the sauce with a little cornflour mixed with cold water. Season the sauce with salt and freshly ground pepper – and a splash of cider vinegar, if you like.
- Meanwhile, melt the remaining butter in a frying pan and fry the mushrooms until golden over a good high heat. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper. Add a little fresh thyme too, if you like.
- Fold half the mushrooms into the sauce and top the dish with the rest. Sprinkle with fresh thyme or a little parsley – and serve with your chosen accompaniments.
Nutrition
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