Beef Stew with Beer and Paprika

This is a wonderful stew! (And I don't like beer!) Serve this with Beer Bread and everyone will thank you.

3 Tbsp olive oil

1 Tbsp butter
2 lbs stew meat

1/2 cup chopped onion

3 cloves garlic, minced
1 bottle of beer (12 oz)
4 cups beef stock (or 4 cups water + 4 beef bouillon cubes)
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
2 Tbsp tomato paste
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 tsp sugar
4 carrots, peeled and sliced into chunks
4 medium red potatoes, cubed

Heat oil and butter in a Dutch oven (or large pot) over medium-high heat. Brown meat in two batches, setting aside on a plate when brown. Cut pieces in half. Set aside. Reduce heat a little and add chopped onion to the pot. Stir and cook for two or three minutes until softened, then add garlic for another minute. Pour in beer and beef stock, then add Worcestershire, tomato paste, paprika, salt, pepper, and sugar. Add beef back to the pot. Stir to combine. Cover and simmer on low for about 2 to 2 1/2 hours. Add carrots and potatoes, then cover and cook for approximately another 30 minutes (carrots and potatoes should no longer be firm and beef should be fork tender).

Note: I did not have a problem with the stew getting dry, but if you do, just add one cup of hot water at a time to replenish the liquid. I actually ended up thickening the stew at the end with a little flour dissolved in cold water. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.

(Recipe slightly adapted from The Pioneer Woman.)

Beer Bread

I had not heard of beer bread until I ate at the Wunsche Brothers Cafe in Old Town Spring a few months ago. It was so tasty I bought a packaged bread mix from the cafe so I could make my own beer bread at home. And then later I discovered I could make this delicious bread from scratch with just four ingredients! So easy and yummy!

3 cups self-rising flour
1/2 cup sugar
12 oz beer
2 Tbsp melted butter

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly grease a 9x5 loaf pan and set aside. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, and beer and mix well. (Mixture will be sticky.) Pour into prepared pan and bake for approximately 50 minutes (bread should be a nice golden brown color when done). Remove from oven and brush 2 tablespoons of melted butter all over top of bread and bake for an additional 3 minutes.  Let cool 10 minutes and then remove from pan and enjoy!