Pic of Beef in Guinness with herby suet crust

Beef in Guinness with herby suet crust

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Meat mains

Beef in Guinness with herby suet crust

Main Serves 5 2h 40 min
This classic beef and ale takes a while in the oven but is worth the wait: steaming, aromatic, melt-in-the mouth cold weather food. Serve this with a bowl of buttery peas.

Ingredients

main

  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, crushed and chopped
  • 4 celery sticks, in chunks
  • 30g butter
  • 600g diced beef
  • 1 tbsp seasoned plain flour
  • 25g dried porcini, soaked in 150ml warm water for 30 mins
  • 300ml Guinness
  • 100g peeled, cooked chestnuts
  • 1 tsp brown sugar
  • bouquet garni

for the crust

  • 100g suet
  • 200g self raising flour
  • 1 tsp parsley, finely chopped
  • 1 tsp thyme, finely chopped
  • 1 beaten egg
  • salt and pepper

Method

Prep time: 20 min
Cooking time: 2h 20 min

main

  • Step 1

    Preheat oven to 160°C/Gas 3.

  • Step 2

    Sweat the onion, celery and garlic in melted butter for 5 minutes until softened then toss the beef in seasoned flour and add to the casserole - increasing the heat to brown it all over.

  • Step 3

    Add porcini and their soaking liquid as well as the Guinness and stir to incorporate before bringing to the boil.

  • Step 4

    Scatter in the chestnuts and sugar and sit the tied bouquet garni in the middle of all, cover and cook in the oven for 1 hr 30 minutes until cooked and fairly tender.

To make the crust

  • Step 1

    place suet, flour, finely chopped parsley and thyme in a bowl with seasoning. Add the beaten egg and sufficient cold water to be able to gently draw together into a dough (not wet) then roll out over floured cling film.

  • Step 2

    Increase the oven temperature to 200°C/Gas 6. Lay herby suet crust over the casserole and bake for about 30 minutes until the crust is golden and the meat very tender.