Short Rib Beef Stew With Ale

The debate didn’t last long. “You could have had boneless beef ribs. You pay for the bones if you buy them with the bones,” my mom remarked as we all enjoyed this wonderful stew.

“It’s better with the bones,” my father and I replied in almost unison. “Better taste,” Dad added. “And then there’s all the goodness from the marrow,” I said.

“Mom, just because you can’t see a hole in the bone doesn’t mean there’s no marrow.”

“But they couldn’t have cooked long enough for anything to come out.”

“They cooked for two and a half hours.”

“Okay. Whatever.”

And so it goes. Lest you think that my father and I are unjustly making life difficult for my mother, both of us pounced on me tonight because I didn’t know who Falstaff was. “Shakespeare, Henry IV!” they said, rolling their eyes as they do when they realize how little I, the daughter of two teachers, really know.

By the way, my mother is mostly right, but in this case I stand by our claim that this stew tastes better and is better for you when cooked with the bone-in short ribs.

This recipe is modeled after an old Sunset Magazine. We used a malty brown beer instead of the beer the original recipe calls for and added carrots and beets.

We love turnips in stews, although they have their own unique slightly bitter flavor; you can easily leave them out.

The best ale for this recipe

You want a malty brown ale to add a lot of deep flavor to this stew. Brown Ales and Belgian Dubbel Ales are malt-heavy, unlike beers like Pilsners or IPAs, which are more hop-heavy. Hops add bitterness to beer, which you don’t want for this stew.

Try one of these beers commonly found in short rib stew:

Newcastle Brown Ale
Dogfish Head Indian Brown Ale
Samuel Smith Hazel Ale
Smuttynose old brown dog
Ommegang Abbey Ale
Chimay Blue

substitute for ale

Ale is the name of this short rib stew, so we highly recommend using ale. However, you can use a substitute in a pinch.

Wine: Replace the ale with a full-bodied red like Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz, or Malbec. Use 12 ounces of wine or 8 ounces of wine plus 4 ounces of beef broth.
beef stock: If you don’t want to use alcohol, substitute 12 ounces of beef broth for the beer.

Make it in the slow cooker

We haven’t tried this in the slow cooker, but some commenters say it works well. If your slow cooker insert is stovetop compatible, use the insert for steps 1 through 6 on the stovetop. If your insert is not suitable for the stovetop, use a heavy-bottomed pan for steps 1-6, then add to the slow cooker.

Follow the rest of the instructions using the slow cooker on low. Note that the cooking time may take a little longer.

The 8 best slow cookers of 2022

CONTINUE READING:

How to save and reheat this recipe

refrigerator: Allow to cool completely and store tightly covered in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days. Heat on stovetop over medium-high heat until heated through and meat reaches 165°F.

freezer: Allow to cool completely and store and store in a freezer-safe zip-lock bag or container. Thaw in the fridge. Heat on stovetop over medium-high heat until heated through and meat reaches 165°F.

More beef stew recipes to try

Jamaican Beef Stew with Scotch Bonnets, Ginger and Allspice
Slow cooker beef bourguignon
Kentucky Burgoo
Beef and barley stew with mushrooms
Beef goulash with dumplings

preparation time
15 minutes

cooking time
3 hrs 30 mins

total time
3 hrs 45 mins

portions
8 servings

Based on a recipe in Sunset Magazine, October 2007.

4 slices Thick-cut bacon
4 lb Bone short beef ribsfreed from excess fat
1/2 Cup all purpose flour
2 tablespoon hot peppers
2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 1/2 teaspoon kosher saltdivided
1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1 Middle Onionchopped (about 1 1/2 cups)
4 cloves garlicfinely chopped
1 (12 ounce) bottle malty brown ale (we used Newcastle Brown Ale)
1 (14.5 ounces) can whole peeled tomatoeschopped and reserved juices
2 lb Yukon Gold or rust red potatoes
2 big carrots
1 lb beetsOptional

Preheat the oven:

Preheat oven to 300°F.
Cook bacon:

Place bacon strips in a large (5 to 6 quart) heavy-bottomed Dutch oven. Turn the heat to medium-high and cook the bacon until most of the fat has come out. Place the bacon on a plate lined with kitchen paper.

Pour out all but 1 tablespoon of the bacon grease from the pot. (Do not pour down the drain or clog the drain if the fat hardens as it cools.)
Dredge the short ribs:

While the bacon is cooking, in a large bowl, whisk together flour, hot paprika, smoked paprika, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1 teaspoon black pepper. Toss the short ribs in the flour mixture.
Fry the short ribs in bacon fat:

Put the short ribs in the pan with the bacon fat and make sure that the pan does not get too full (in batches if necessary). Brown on all sides, about 3 to 5 minutes per side.

If you want to get a good browning, don’t move the short ribs except to flip them.

While the short ribs are browning, chop the bacon and set aside.
Cooking onions and garlic:

Use tongs or a slotted spoon to remove the short ribs from the pot and place in a bowl. Put the chopped onions in the pot. Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook until translucent, about 4 minutes.

Add the garlic and cook for another minute.
Add the beer and tomatoes:

Add the beer and use a wooden spoon or spatula to scrape any browned bits off the bottom of the pan.

Add tomatoes and their juices and reserved bacon. Increase the heat to high and bring the mixture to a boil.
Cover and cook:

Return the short ribs to the pot, cover, place in the 300F oven and cook for 2 hours. (Alternatively, you can cook on the stovetop, just reduce the heat to the lowest setting and cover.)
Add the root vegetables:

Peel the potatoes, beets (if using), and carrots and cut into 1-inch pieces. Place in the saucepan, cover, and cook until the vegetables are tender and the meat falls away from the bone easily, about 30 to 45 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Simple tip!

Some short ribs take longer to break down than others. If your short ribs are still chewy, continue to simmer until they fall apart tenderly.
Remove bones and excess fat before serving:

Skim off excess fat (it helps if you have a fat separator). If you wish, remove the bones before serving and cut large pieces of meat into smaller pieces.

Simple tip!

To remove the fat easily, allow the stew to cool, chill in the refrigerator, and then remove and discard the solidified fat cap. As a bonus, the flavors of the still will have blended better by then.