Beef Stew with Peppers and Ale
This is sort of a cross between chili and beef stew, with delicious wintry results. It has all the flavors of chili—cumin, dried chiles, tomatoes, and beans— but features stew meat instead of ground beef for a more interesting texture. Be sure to give the stew the full two hours of simmering; it’s essential to making the beef super tender. You can make this up to two days ahead and reheat gently on the stove top. It also freezes well; consider stashing leftovers in the freezer for a last-minute dinner or a snowy weekend.
Recipe information
Yield
SERVES 6 TO 8
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
In a small bowl, cover the dried chiles with the boiling water and let soak for 20 minutes. Drain the chiles, reserving the water, and remove and discard the seeds. Puree the chiles with the soaking water in a blender and set aside.
Step 2
In a large bowl, toss together the flour with 2 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Add the beef, mix until completely coated in flour, and set aside.
Step 3
Put the pancetta in a large Dutch oven or soup pot over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring frequently, until the pancetta is browned and has released most of its fat, about 4 minutes. Remove from the pot and set aside, leaving the rendered fat in the pan. Increase the heat slightly.
Step 4
Add about one-third of the beef to make a roomy single layer. Cook, turning every couple of minutes, until browned all over, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate and repeat with the remaining beef. The meat will not caramelize and brown well if there is not enough fat in the pot, so add more oil 1 tablespoon at a time as necessary.
Step 5
Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to the pot and add the onion and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring frequently and scraping any very dark bits from the bottom of the pan, until the onions are translucent, about 4 minutes. Add the bell peppers and continue to cook until softened slightly, 2 minutes longer. Stir in the molasses, cumin, coriander, and mustard and cook, stirring, for 1 minute, or until fragrant.
Step 6
Add the beer and stir to release the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the reserved beef, pancetta, and chile puree, as well as the stock, beans, tomatoes, thyme, parsley, bay leaf, and 1 teaspoon more salt. Bring just to a boil, partially cover the pot, and then lower the heat to maintain a bare simmer.
Step 7
Cook, stirring occasionally, until the beef is tender and the flavors have melded into a rich broth, about 2 hours. (At this point you can uncover and increase the heat to a rapid simmer to reduce and thicken the broth if you like.) Remove the thyme and parsley sprigs. Taste and season with more salt as needed.
