BEEF IN ALE WITH CHEESE COBBLER

BEEF IN ALE WITH CHEESE COBBLER image

Categories Soup/Stew Beef Braise St. Patrick's Day Dinner

Number Of Ingredients 27

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Ingredients

Makes: 6 servings
Preparation time: about 2 hours
For the casserole:
■ 2 tbsp (25 mL) all-purpose flour
■ Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
■ 1½ lb (680 g) beef chuck or round, cut into cubes
■ 2 tbsp (25 mL) olive oil
■ 1 medium onion, peeled and diced
■ 1 clove garlic, minced
■ 2 carrots, peeled and diced
■ 3 stalks celery, diced
■ 1½ cups (375 mL) ale: one 12-ounce bottle Irish ale
■ 2 cups (500 mL) homemade beef stock or canned low-sodium beef broth
■ 1 tbsp (15 mL) tomato paste
■ 1 tbsp (15 mL) Worcestershire sauce
■ 1 sprig fresh thyme
For the cobbler:
■ Scant 2 cups (500 mL) flour
■ 2½ tsp (22 mL) baking powder
■ 1 tsp (5 mL) salt
■ ½ tsp (2 mL) dry mustard
■ Freshly ground black pepper to taste
■ 3 tbsp (50 mL) cold, unsalted butter
■ 1 cup (250 mL) shredded Kerrygold Dubliner or Cheddar cheese
■ ½ tsp (2 mL) Tabasco sauce
■ ½-2/3 cups (125 to 150 mL) water
■ 1 tbsp (15 mL) milk for brushing tops

Steps:

1. To make the casserole, in a large re-sealable plastic bag, combine the flour, salt and pepper. Dredge the beef in the flour mixture and set aside. 2. In a large (12-inch/30-cm) ovenproof skillet heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until soft but not browned. Add the beef and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, or until browned on all sides. Add the carrots and celery and stir to coat. Stir in the ale, stock or broth, tomato purée, Worcestershire sauce, and thyme. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes. 3. Uncover and cook for 15-20 minutes longer, or until the meat and vegetables are tender and the sauce starts to thicken. Remove from the heat (remove thyme stems if they are bare and float to the top of beef mixture.) 4. Preheat the oven to 350 F (180 C). 5. Meanwhile, to make the cobbler, sift the flour, baking powder, salt and mustard into a food processor. Season with pepper. Chop the butter into small pieces and add, pulsing until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add the cheese, Tabasco, and ½ cup (125 mL) water. Process for 8-10 seconds, or until a soft dough forms. Add more water, if necessary. Transfer the dough to a floured surface. Roll it out to ½-inch (1.5-cm) thickness. With a 3-inch (7.5-cm) round cookie cutter, cut out 7-8 rounds; reroll and cut out more rounds to make 12. Arrange on top of the meat mixture, overlapping in a decorative pattern. Brush the tops of the cobbler with the milk. 6. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the cobbler is golden and the mixture is bubbling. Remove from the oven and serve immediately.