Hairy Bikers Beef and Ale Casserole

You never brown the beef in this Hairy Bikers beef and ale casserole, which breaks the first rule of stew making. Their Hairy Dieters book proves the shortcut works, since floured lean beef goes straight into the pot with dark ale. It still comes out rich at just 377 calories, serving 6 in about 2½ hours.

That number is the whole point, because this is the Bikers’ diet-book take on the classic beef casserole. One tablespoon of oil replaces the usual fat-heavy browning, so the richness comes from the ale, the tomato purée, and a little sugar instead.

The vegetables get their own rule too, since the carrots and parsnips only join for the final 45 minutes. Added at the start they would collapse into the gravy, but this way they cook through while still holding their shape.

Hairy Bikers Beef and Ale Casserole Recipe

Author: Alex Saidani Cooking Method:Braising Cuisine:British Courses:Dinner

Difficulty:BeginnerPrep time: 20 minutesCook time:2 hours 15 minutesRest time: minutesTotal time:2 hours 35 minutesServings:6 servingsCalories:377 kcal Best Season:Summer

Description

Lightly browned onions start the pot, then lean braising beef tossed in seasoned, herbed flour goes in raw with dark ale, beef stock, tomato purée, and a touch of sugar. A slow covered braise does the work, with thickly sliced carrots and parsnips dropped in partway so everything lands tender together in a rich dark gravy.

Ingredients

For the Casserole

• 1 tbsp sunflower oil
• 2 medium onions, chopped
• 4 tbsp plain flour
• 1 tsp flaked sea salt
• 2 tsp dried mixed herbs
• 1kg lean braising beef
• 1 bay leaf
• 500ml dark ale or stout
• 250ml beef stock, made with 1 beef stock cube
• 2 tbsp tomato purée
• 2 tsp caster sugar
• 5 medium carrots (about 275g), peeled and thickly sliced
• 2 parsnips (about 300g), peeled, halved lengthways and sliced
• Freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

1. Fry the onions: Preheat the oven to 180°C, then heat the oil in a large flameproof casserole dish. Fry the onions over a medium-high heat for about 5 minutes until lightly browned, then take the pan off the heat.
2. Coat the beef: Mix the flour, salt, and dried herbs in a large bowl with plenty of black pepper. Trim the beef of hard fat and sinew, cut it into 3cm cubes, then toss it in the flour until evenly coated and tip it in with the onions.
3. Build the gravy: Add the bay leaf, ale, stock, tomato purée, and sugar. Stir well and bring to the boil, then cover with the lid.
4. Braise: Transfer the casserole carefully to the oven and cook for 1½ hours.
5. Add the veg: Stir in the carrots and parsnips, then put the lid back on. Return the dish to the oven for a further 45 minutes or until the beef and vegetables are tender.
6. Serve: Season to taste and bring it to the table with mash or greens, since the gravy deserves something to soak into.

FAQs

Why is the beef not browned first?

The book calls this its discovery, because browning normally needs loads of fat and this recipe uses one tablespoon of oil total. The flour coating on the raw beef thickens the gravy instead, while the ale, purée, and sugar build the deep colour browning would have given.

If you love the seared version of this idea, their steak and ale pie browns the same beef-and-ale filling in batches with smoked bacon, then bakes it under puff pastry.

Which ale should I use, and does Guinness count?

The recipe simply says 500ml of dark ale or stout, so Guinness, porter, or any malty dark bottle works. Darker beers give a deeper, more roasted gravy, while a lighter amber ale keeps things gentler.

Avoid anything aggressively hoppy though, since an IPA turns bitter over two hours of cooking.

Can I make this in a slow cooker?

There is no slow cooker version in the book, but this recipe converts easily because nothing needs searing. Fry the onions, then put everything except the carrots and parsnips in on low for 6-7 hours, adding the vegetables for the final 2 hours.

Use only 350ml of ale in a slow cooker though, since nothing evaporates under the sealed lid.

What should I serve with it, potatoes or something else?

The book’s own suggestion is a light mash softened with half-fat crème fraîche and bulked out with steamed leeks, which keeps the whole plate diet-friendly. Plain boiled potatoes work just as well for soaking up the gravy.

You can also drop peeled potato chunks straight in with the carrots and parsnips, so they braise in the gravy itself. For potatoes baked into the dish instead, their Lancashire hotpot is built exactly that way.

Do the Bikers have richer versions of this casserole?

Several, since this is deliberately the lean one at 377 calories. Meat Feasts has a Beef in Guinness with horseradish dumplings for the full dumpling treatment, while their Eat for Life book does a Rich Beef in Red Wine at 416 calories.

For the most indulgent end of the family, their beef bourguignon cooks 1.6kg of steak in 750ml of red wine with bacon, which is everything this recipe politely avoids.