Beef and Ale Stew | Beef Recipes | Jamie Oliver Recipes (2024)

FAQs

Why put vinegar in stews? ›

Vinegar can add depth of flavour to soups, sauces, and stews. Especially great for tomato-based recipes, you can add a couple of tablespoons of vinegar towards the end of the cooking process to amplify the flavours of your other ingredients.

If you are unsure about what beer to use, go for pale ale.

You do not need to break the bank just to get a nice bottle of beer for cooking. Make sure to use beers that you would enjoy drinking. Remember that as you cook, the flavors of the beer will either intensify or diminish.

After a few minutes, the stew should thicken and be ready to be served. Test Kitchen Tip: Balsamic vinegar helps cut some of the fat and brightens the flavor.

A bit of tomato paste amps up the flavor of beef stew, giving it a richness and a punch of umami that makes the stew truly memorable.

it is mostly the alcohol making it bitter. Add sugar and/or ketchup to the stew to reduce the bitterness. Butter and salt also help to reduce the bitter taste.

What's the best type of ale to use for Beef and Ale Stew? An ale with a full, malty flavour works best – our favourite types to use are either ruby ales or porters.

We might still use a porter, but less of it. Brown ales also give veggie stews a nice layer of savory-sweetness, though we'd avoid the “nu*t brown” ales as they are often too sweet and syrupy for these purposes. Try Brooklyn Brewery's brown ale or the Saranac brown ale.

The vinegar will loosen all the brown bits from the bottom of the pan and add flavor. Cook until the vegetables are softened, then add the tomato paste and cook for a minute more. Add the beef back into the pan and sprinkle with the flour. Stir until the flour is dissolved.

Acidic ingredients like vinegar, lemon juice, yogurt and wine weaken collagen and protein in meat. Once the proteins are broken by acid, one loose protein can bond with another and trap liquid in the meat, making it juicy and tender.

Think of vinegar as the conductor of an orchestra. It can take a cacophony of flavors and sync them into perfect harmony. It both balances and awakens them. Plus, if you accidentally add too much salt to your soup, a little vinegar will tame the saltiness.

Does vinegar make beef more tender? ›

Balsamic vinegar is a good marinade for red meats because it helps to tenderize them. The acid in the vinegar helps to break down some of the protein and fat in the beef, which makes it softer. The balsamic vinegar also adds a sweet flavor while tenderizing, without having to add any sugar.