christmas ale stew.
Back when we were living in Wisconsin, Evan would rave about Cleveland’s Christmas Ale every holiday season. There are, of course, many Christmas ales made in Cleveland, but the one that most people talking about Christmas ale are referring to is made by Great Lakes. It’s a rich, malty ale with notes of cinnamon and nutmeg, making it perfect for the cold winter season. We usually serve it in a glass rimmed with cinnamon sugar — for extra holiday cheer, of course (and definitely not just to lick the sugar off).
One year, Evan asked if I could make a stew out of his precious ale as a means to really make the most of his favorite beer. I searched for a recipe and only one showed up that felt right, so I went with it; and thus, Evan’s favorite stew was born.
The recipe this is adapted from is by Fontina Turner at Bacon & Legs. It’s not quite the same as Fontina’s because, truthfully, after I looked at it the first time I kind of just guessed my way through it every time after. It has evolved throughout the years to be overall more “Christmas-y”, emphasizing the soft, sweet flavors of winter.
You could use hers if you hate parsnips and use mine if you love cranberries, but honestly? You can’t go wrong either way.
But credit where credit is due — the barley idea was all hers.
I’m not sure how Fontina serves hers, exactly, but we don’t eat ours with extra bread or mashed potatoes. The stew is simply perfect on its own thanks to the thick barley and tender parsnips. That being said, it’s also very thick, with a fairly small amount of gravy leftover. If you want a little more gravy for dipping bread into, I recommend adding an extra 2 cups of beef stock and, if needed, adding a cornstarch slurry to thicken it.
Hope you enjoy Evan’s absolute favorite meal of the year — oh, and if you can’t get your hands on Cleveland’s Christmas Ale, any toasty, malty version will do.
Happy Holidays -
Serves 4-6
INGREDIENTS
3 tablespoons oil
1 1/2 pounds beef chuck/round stew meat, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 tablespoon salt, plus more to taste
1 tablespoon pepper, plus more to taste
1/4 cup flour
1 yellow onion, quartered
4 garlic cloves, minced
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1 cup Christmas ale (Great Lakes)
5 cups beef stock
1 cup Italian pearl barley
3 to 4 carrots, peeled and chopped
3 parsnips, peeled and chopped
3 sprigs thyme
3 sprigs rosemary
2 bay leaves
1/4 cup frozen cranberries
RECIPE
Slow Cooker Method:
Heat oil in a cast iron skillet over medium heat.
Toss beef with salt, pepper, and flour.
Sear the beef until deeply browned on each side, about 2 to 3 minutes per side.
Transfer the beef to the slow cooker.
Adding oil as needed, add the onions to the skillet. Sauté until soft, about 4-5 minutes, then add garlic. Cook until fragrant, about 1 minute longer.
Add tomato paste and stir to combine well. Cook until tomato paste begins to stick to the bottom of the skillet.
Deglaze the skillet with Christmas ale and bring to a simmer. Reduce by half, then remove from the heat.
Carefully transfer the contents of the skillet to the slow cooker and add the beef stock, barley, carrots, parsnips, thyme, rosemary, bay leaves*, and cranberries.
Cover and cook on high for 4 to 5 hours or low for 6 to 8, until beef is very tender.
Stovetop Method:
Heat oil in a cast iron skillet over medium heat.
Toss beef with salt, pepper, and flour.
Sear the beef until deeply browned on each side, about 2 to 3 minutes per side.
Transfer the beef to the slow cooker.
Adding oil as needed, add the onions to the skillet. Sauté until soft, about 4-5 minutes, then add garlic. Cook until fragrant, about 1 minute longer.
Add tomato paste and stir to combine well. Cook until tomato paste begins to stick to the bottom of the skillet.
Deglaze the skillet with Christmas ale and bring to a simmer. Reduce by half, then add the beef stock, barley, carrots, parsnips, thyme, rosemary, bay leaves*, and cranberries.
Bring to a simmer, then cover and cook on medium low heat for 1 to 2 hours, stirring often, until beef, carrots, and parsnips are fork-tender and barley is cooked.
Notes:
*For easy removal, tie the herbs together with baker’s twine into a bouquet garni.
*To thicken the stew, mix 1/4 cup water with 3 tablespoons corn starch. Stir to combine with the slow cooker on high heat (or Dutch oven over medium heat) and cook for an additional 10 minutes, or until thick.
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