Mayflower Porter Beef Stew

One of my non-beer hobbies/functional skills (I have a couple) is cooking. When I was in grad school I was too poor to eat out regularly and got bored of the few dishes I knew how to prepare, so with a little help from the internet and Food Network I taught myself to cook. While I am far from a professional chef, I do know my way around the kitchen and make some pretty tasty and occasionally creative dishes. Since it was obscenely cold this weekend I focused on hearty fare, including one of my all time favorite comfort foods: beef stew. I use beer as the base of my stew (obviously), and my favorite beer to use is Mayflower Porter, which is perfect since this happens to be porter month of Hoppy Boston. Mayflower’s porter is one of my all time favorite beers, and since this recipe only calls for two bottles you can buy a six pack and still have four more to drink. After posting a picture of my slow cooker on twitter this morning a request was made for my recipe, so I thought I would share it on the blog (especially since it fits with the theme for the month). All measurements are approximate, as a chemist I have to meticulously measure and weigh things in the lab all day, so I allow myself to wing it a little when I cook. Let me know if you try the recipe and what you think!

This was made in my large-ish Crockpot and filled it to the brim, so you might need to adjust if you have a smaller model. Ingredients:

3.5 lbs stew beef, cut in cubes

8 medium red potatoes, cut in bite size pieces

5 medium carrots, chopped

4 stalks of celery, diced

1 large onion, diced

2 tablespoons minced garlic

1 small can of corn

1 small can of peas

salt and pepper to taste

2-12 oz. bottles of Mayflower Porter

1/2 cup of all purpose flower.

Directions: Season the beef liberally with salt and pepper and add to the slow cooker. Add potatoes, garlic and vegetables. Add the beer, cook on low for ten hours. Give everything a good stir a few times as you near the end. Sprinkle in the flour while stirring to thicken the broth. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste (shouldn’t need much).Enjoy with some crusty bread or biscuits and another Mayflower Porter!