MMMM----- Recipe via Meal-Master (tm) v8.06

     Title: Slow Cooker Guinness Beef Stew With Horseradish Cream
Categories: Beef, Vegetables, Beer, Potatoes, Dairy
     Yield: 6 servings

     3 lb Beef chuck; fat trimmed, cut
          - in 2" cubes
   1/3 c  A-P flour; +2 tb
          Salt & black pepper
     4 tb Oil; more as needed
     3 cl Garlic; chopped
     2    Dried shiitake mushrooms;
          - halved (optional)
     2 tb Tomato paste
     2 ts Brown sugar; packed
     1 ts Unsweetened cocoa powder
     1 ts Onion powder
   1/2 ts Caraway seeds
   1/2 ts Instant espresso powder
     2 c  Guinness or other stout
          - beer
     2 c  Beef broth or stock
     2    Fresh thyme sprigs
     1 lb Red or Yukon gold potatoes;
          - in 1" to 2" pieces
 1 1/2 lb Root vegetables; peeled. in
          - 1" to 2" pieces
     1 tb Balsamic vinegar
     1 ts Worcestershire sauce
     1 ts Lemon juice; more to taste
   3/4 c  Sour cream
     3 tb Jarred horseradish
   1/4 c  Scallions or chives; minced

 In a large mixing bowl, combine the beef and 2 tb flour. Season
 generously with salt and pepper and toss to coat. In a large
 skillet or Dutch oven, heat 2 tb vegetable oil over medium-high.
 Working in batches, add the beef and let it brown on two sides,
 about 2 minutes per side. Add a bit more oil if the meat sticks.
 (You can brown it on more than two sides if you have time, but two
 sides is enough to build flavor and texture.) Transfer the browned
 beef to a bowl or plate.

 Make the gravy:

 Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the remaining 2 tb oil. Add
 the garlic, dried shiitakes (if using), tomato paste, brown sugar,
 cocoa, onion powder, caraway seeds, and espresso powder. Cook,
 stirring constantly, until the mixture is fragrant and evenly
 blended, 1 to 2 minutes. (Reduce the heat to low or remove from the
 heat temporarily if the bottom of the pan threatens to burn.) Add
 the remaining 1/3 cup flour and cook, stirring and scraping
 constantly, until the mixture forms a thick, dry paste, about
 1 minute. Add the beer and broth. Increase the heat to high and
 bring to a boil, whisking constantly to scrape any browned bits off
 the bottom of the pan. Let it boil until it is smooth and
 noticeably thickened, about 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper
 and remove from the heat.

 Add the beef and any juices, the thyme, potatoes, and root
 vegetables to a 6 to 8 qt slow cooker. Add the gravy and stir to
 combine. Cover and cook on low until the beef and vegetables are
 tender, about 8 hours.

 When ready to serve, add the vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, and
 lemon juice. Taste, and season with more salt, pepper, and lemon
 juice, if necessary. (If the stew tastes flat, add more lemon juice
 first, then more salt and pepper; acid is key to making it taste
 lively. It may need a surprising amount of salt, especially if you
 have used unsalted or low-salt stock.) Discard the thyme sprigs.

 Make the horseradish sour cream:

 Stir together the sour cream, horseradish and scallions in a small
 bowl. Season with salt. Serve stew in low bowls with a spoonful of
 the horseradish sour cream on top.

 Recipe by Sarah DiGregorio

 RECIPE FROM: https://cooking.nytimes.com

 Uncle Dirty Dave's Archives

MMMMM