Beef and Ale Stew with Mustard Dumplings by Gordon Ramsey

Now that the weather is getting colder and frostier, most people are looking to make something rich, flavourful and hot out of the oven to help warm themselves up after a cold winter's day.
Beef stew is a classic dish to make at this time of year, and British cooking legend Gordon Ramsay has created a stew recipe packed with a “hearty delicious flavour”.

 

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Beef stew with dumplings is a hearty and comforting dish that has been enjoyed for centuries in different parts of the world. The origin of this dish is not very clear, but some sources suggest that it came from the United Kingdom, where it is still a popular meal today. The stew consists of chunks of beef and vegetables cooked in a rich gravy or broth, and the dumplings are made from flour, water and suet (beef fat) that are added to the pot towards the end of cooking. The dumplings help to thicken the stew and add more texture and flavour. Some variations of this dish include adding wine, herbs, Worcestershire sauce or balsamic vinegar to the stew, or using different types of meat or vegetables. Beef stew with dumplings is a simple and satisfying dish that can warm you up on a cold day.

Ingredients 

For the stew:

• 700g beef strips (cut into chunks)
• 500ml of ale or beer
• 300ml of beef stock
• 150g pearl onions or two medium onions, peeled and cut into chunks
• Two carrots, peeled sliced and cut into chunks
• Four peeled garlic cloves
• Two tablespoons of plain flour
• Three teaspoons of tomato puree
• Four thyme sprigs
• Three bay leaves
• Salt and pepper to season

For the dumplings:

• 125g of self-raising flour for fluffy dumplings, or plain flour for harder dumplings
• 75g of suet
• One tablespoon of wholegrain mustard
• Some flour for dusting the counter to roll the dumplings.

Kitchen equipment:

• Bowl
• Stove and oven-proof casserole dish with lid
• Mixing bowl

Instructions

To make the stew:

To begin, preheat the oven to 150C. Place the beef in a bowl and season with salt and pepper. Then take a spoonful of flour to dust the beef with and use your hands to mix the flour in with the beef. Gordon Ramsay said: “The flour helps to brown the beef, and seasoned flour will also add flavour and thicken the stew.”

Next, prepare your vegetables by cutting and slicing them. Try to make sure all your carrots and onions are roughly the same size as your beef chunks. Gordon said: “Look at the size of the chunks of the beef. I cut my carrots similar sizes [so that they’ll cut equally].”

Take your casserole dish and add oil while placing it on medium heat on the stove. Once the dish is hot, add your beef chunks to the pot and cook until the beef is browned on all sides.

Next, add your carrots, onions, thyme, bay leaves and garlic to the dish and make sure to give it a good stir. Cook over a medium heat for two to three minutes.

Pour in either your beer or ale to deglaze the pan. Make sure to scrap the bottom of the pan to make sure nothing is sticking, and then let it boil for around two to three minutes. Gordon said: “That is going to deglaze the pan. Adding beer or stout helps to tenderise the beef and give it a hearty delicious flavour.”

Add the tablespoons of tomato puree and mix it in. Then it is time to cover the stew with the beef stock and bring the stew to a simmer.

Make sure to give it another good mix and then place the lid on the dish, allowing some space for the steam to escape and “not let the stew go all watery” according to Gordon Ramsay.

Place the dish in the oven and allow to cook for two and a half hours until the beef in the stew becomes very tender. 

To make the dumplings:

In order to make the dumplings, place the flour and suet in a mixing bowl and season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Add in a “generous dollop” of mustard and give it a good mix using your hands.

Once the ingredients are combined, add a little warm water to the mixture and continue to mix until it becomes a dough. If the mixture appears to be too wet, add in a little more flour.

Roll the dough into 12 dumpling balls, making sure your hands are covered in flour to do so.

Once the stew is ready, remove it from the oven and raise the temperature of the oven to 180C. Place the dumplings in the stew and put the dish back in the oven for another 20-25 minutes. Once ready, the dumplings should have grown in size.