Autumn Beef Stew

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons bacon drippings
• ¼ cup flour
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 2 ½ pounds beef stew meat, cut into 1 inch cubes
• 5 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 onion, thinly sliced
• 6 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 1 pound carrots, peeled and sliced
• 1 pound celery, sliced
• ¼ cup rice vinegar
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 4 cups beef broth
• 2 (12 fluid ounce) cans or bottles ale
• 1 parsnip, peeled and sliced
• 1 turnip, peeled and chopped
• 1 pound baby red potatoes, washed
• ¾ cup parsley, chopped
• 4 whole bay leaves

Step 1

Gently heat the bacon grease in a large pot over medium heat. While that’s warming up, mix the flour with a bit of salt and pepper, then toss the beef cubes in the flour until they’re well coated. Brown the meat in the bacon grease until it gets a nice color, then transfer it to a paper towel-lined plate and set it aside.

Step 2

Add a splash of olive oil to the same pot and cook the onions, garlic, carrots, and celery over low heat until they soften. Stir in the vinegar and sugar, then pour in the broth. Bring everything up to a boil, making sure to scrape the bottom of the pot to loosen any browned bits—that’s where the flavor is.

Step 3

Put the beef back into the pot, pour in the beer, and add the parsnips, turnips, red potatoes, parsley, and bay leaves. Turn the heat down to medium-low, cover the pot, and let it simmer gently for about an hour and a half. Give it a stir now and then, and you’ll have a cozy, hearty stew ready to enjoy.