Beef Stew with Herb Dumplings

Truly a one pot meal! Chuck or blade roasts work the best, but don’t trim off too much of the fat because that’s where the flavour comes from. It is important not to use a pale ale or a beer that is too hoppy. The hop flavour goes bitter when cooked so a red ale or English style ale work best.

Ingredients

For the stew:

• ¼ cup Goodness Me! extra virgin olive oil
• 2 lb Meyer Harvest stewing beef
• ½ tsp sea salt
• ¼ tsp black pepper
• 2 ½ cups sliced organic onions
• 4 cloves organic garlic, chopped
• 2 cups organic carrots, peeled, cut into chunks
• 1 cup organic celery, cut into chunks
• 2 cups organic parsnip, peeled, cut into chunks
• 1 can Sober Carpenter Red Ale
• 2 cups beef broth
• 4 sprigs thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tsp sea salt
• ½ tsp black pepper
• 1 tbsp chopped organic orange zest
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 2 tbsp organic corn starch

For the biscuits:

• 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp sea salt
• ¼ cup grass-fed butter
• ¾ cup buttermilk
• 2 tsp chopped parsley
• 1 tsp chopped rosemary
• ¼ tsp chopped thyme

Method:

1. Place a sauté pan over medium-high heat and allow to heat up. Pat dry the beef with a paper towel then toss with ½ tsp salt and a ¼ tsp pepper. Add 2 tbsp of oil to the pan and sear the beef in batches making sure the beef has lots of room so steam can escape. Sear all sides for colour then repeat with the remaining beef. Remove beef from pan and set aside. The pieces do not need to be cooked through.
2. Once the beef has been removed add the onions and garlic to the pan with the remaining oil and sauté until soft and fragrant. Add the Sober Carpenter red ale and heat to deglaze & release all the yummy flavours in the pan.
3. Combine all stew ingredients in a slow cooker and cook 8 hours on low or 4 hours on high.
4. Half an hour before the end of cooking, combine the biscuit ingredients; first the dry, then chop in the butter using a pastry mixer or a couple of dinner knives until the flour and butter has a course pea sized grainy look. Add the chopped herbs and stir briefly then finish by adding the buttermilk and stirring until the dough just comes together. I use my hands and give few kneads to make sure there is no flour left on the bottom of the bowl. Dollop onto the top of the stew leaving room between the dough to let it expand. CHEF TIP: It is important to use all-purpose flour for the biscuits, as pastry or any other soft flour will fall apart while cooking.
5. Replace the lid and increase heat to high. Cook for 30 minutes or until the biscuits are cooked through. At this stage it is important to have a slight simmer in the cooker to create steam around the biscuits.