Possible other names for this stew:

Boeuf Bourguignon’s Younger Brother

Redneck Bourguignon

Drunk Uncle Bourguignon

Boeuf’s Embarassment

While Boeuf Bourguignon is refined… its sieved…. its carefully monitored…. Beer and Beef stew has all the same ingredients, almost, with much less “refinement.”

It smells the same. It kind of looks the same, just like 2 brothers would, but there is just something different about them. One obvious difference is that while Boeuf has fine red wine as a component, Beer and Beef has well… beer. A Miller Lite to be precise. Beer and Beef stew can’t bother to be sieved! What stew needs such things?! Well, his older more refined brother Boeuf does.

They are family. My guess is that they don’t like each other. Boeuf admires Beer’s easy-goingness. Beer admires Boeuf’s success and reputation.

Its like me and my sisters. We look alike in some ways, but are different in others.

Aw, I love them. I miss them. Sniff.

Lets get this party started.

Ol’ Boeuf’s brother looks easy enough…

Lets start with either a dutch oven or a large pot. I just pulled Julia out of the hutch.

Hi Jules.

I put 2 tablespoons of oil and 1 tablespoon of butter in my pot.

Then I browned my Stew Meat (I used about 1 1/2 lbs) in the oil in 2 batches. This way you avoid overcrowding and the meat can brown properly.

After the first batch has browned, remove to a plate. Then do the same with the second batch of meat.

Remove the second batch of meat to the reserve plate.

Add one diced onion to the oil that remains in the pot.

Mmmm… those onions just filled the kitchen with that smell. You know the one… browning onions…. oil… butta…

After the onions have browned for a minute or two add the minced garlic. Talk about smelling good. This garlic takes it to another level!

After the garlic and onions have browned (a minute or 2), add in 4 cups water and 4 beef bouillon cubes (or just 4 cups of beef stock if you have it… I didn’t.)

Beef bouillon cubes remind me of my mom. She always had them in the cabinet and used them whenever making beef stew. I have NEVER used them before. I always use beef stock. But I happen to already have these from another dish that I never made and just went for it! Also, my beef stock never lasts because I end up giving it to my dogs. I don’t think that I will be giving them beef bouillon cubes though.

Then I added in some Worchestershire. Is that how you spell it? I am not spell checking it. I refuse.

Then, for some thickness and richness (and what I am convinced makes all the difference), 2 tablespoons Tomato Paste.

I added in a couple of shakes for Chili Powder for some “HIYA!”

Uh Oh… here comes Drunk brother. Oh no. What’s he going to do? Just don’t look him in the eyes.

I added in 12 oz of beer.

I stirred the stew all together and then added my beef. Before I added it though, I cut the beef in half.

Yerm. And that’s it. That’s the bulk of the work. Oh, add the salt, pepper, and sugar.

I put Julia’s lid on for the next 1 hour 1 1/2 hours and let the sauce simmer. It could even go for 2 if you just had the time. I didn’t. I was hungry and the smell of it had me coming to the kitchen to check on it (a.k.a. lick the spoon) about 10 times.

Now, I was ready to be finished with cooking so I went ahead and chopped up the carrots and the potatoes that I would add to the stew in an hour/hour and a half. You could totally do this later, but I was ready nooooow.

After my an hour and a half, I uncovered my pot and added the carrots and potatoes. Then I recovered Julia for an additional 30 minutes. Keep in mind the the stew should be simmering. I cranked up the heat just a notch above simmering for the last 30 minutes.

Then serve! Ladle stew into a large bowl and serve alongside a piece of crusty bread. I used some rosemary bread and found it to be delicious.

I have a confession. I can’t believe I am saying this. I prefer the drunk brother! Oh man. Who am I? I thought that Boeuf Bourguignon was the be-all-end-all for me. I thought that there would never be another stew that could even compare to my French lover… but the brother compares. This is getting confusing.

Not only me, but also bf raved about this stew for 2 days. Well, 1 full day. This huge pot of stew was consumed in 24 hours. When I woke up this morning to go to work there were stew dribbles all over the counter. I caught bf in his stew tracks. Boys are so messy. But he was sweet enough to save a teeny bit for me when I got home. How squeet.

Ingredients

• 3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• 1 Tablespoon Butter
• 1.5-2 pounds Stew Meat
• 1 whole Medium Onion, Diced
• 3 cloves Garlic, Minced
• 1 can Beer, 12 Ounce Can
• 4 cups Beef Stock (or 4 Cups Water + 4 Beef Bouillon Cubes)
• 2 cups Water (additional, If Needed)
• 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
• 2 Tablespoons Tomato Paste
• ½ teaspoons Chili Powder
• ½ teaspoons Salt
• Freshly Ground Black Pepper
• 1-½ teaspoon Sugar
• 4 carrots roughly slices
• 4 new potatoes

Lets cook this:

Heat oil and butter in a large pot over medium-high heat. Brown meat in two batches, setting aside on a plate when brown. Cut pieces in half. Set aside.

Add diced onions to the pot. Stir and cook for two or three minutes until softened, then add garlic for another minute. Pour in beer and beef stock, then add Worcestershire, tomato paste, paprika, salt, pepper, and sugar. Add beef back into the pot. Stir to combine. Cover and simmer for 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

Add carrots and potatoes, then cover and cook for an additional 30 minutes. (If stew gets dry, just add a cup of hot water at a time to replenish the liquid.) Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.

Serve in bowls next to crusty bread.