Recipe: Beef Ragout

Beef Ragout

Yield: 6 servings

This is a wonderful recipe that takes full advantage of slow cooking. It is a Flemish adaptation of a French stew using beer as one of the ingredients. The Flemings traditionally use a dark beer.

1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 pounds lean beef chuck, trimmed of fat and cut into 1-inch cubes
1/4 cup vegetable oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons firmly packed dark brown sugar
1/2 cup packed chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
1-1/2 cups beef broth
one 12-ounce bottle beer
1 bay leaf
1 large Spanish onion, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
hot egg noodles or wild rice

In a medium-size bowl, mix together the flour and salt. Dredge the beef cubes in the flour, shaking off any excess.

In either an electric skillet set at 300F or a large skillet over medium heat, heat the oil and brown the cubes of beef on all sides. Remove the beef to a slow cooker. Reduce the heat of the electric skillet to low (150F). Add the garlic to the skillet and cook, stirring, until golden but not brown. Add the brown sugar, parsley, beef stock, and beer to the skillet, stir to loosen the browned bits from the bottom, then pour the mixture over the meat in the slow cooker. Add the bay leaf and place the onion slices on top of the beef. Cover, set on low, and cook for 6 hours, stirring the onion into the mixture after 2 to 3 hours. Stir in the Worcestershire and vinegar during the last 15 minutes of cooking time.

Remove the bay leaf, season with salt and pepper, and serve over hot noodles or wild rice.

from:
Lora Brody Plugged In
by Lora Brody
William Morrow and Company, $25.00
384 pages; 1998
Recipes and photos reprinted by permission.