Submitted by Patricia

Ingredients:

• Oil/butter/drippings
• British Beef braising steak, cut into cubes
• 1 onion chopped
• 1 red pepper chopped
• Sliced carrots, 2 to 4 depending on how much you like carrots
• Sliced mushrooms, about a cup full
• Sliced celery, a couple of stalks
• flour
• Salt pepper, Herbs de provence and thyme
• 1 cup beef broth
• 1 cup Newcastle Brown Ale
• Potatoes or new potatoes

Method:

1. Heat a large dutch oven with a bit of oil and fry off some braising steak that is cut into cubes.
2. Fry about 5 minutes and then add a chopped onion and some chopped red pepper, sliced carrots, sliced mushrooms and sliced celery and fry for another 5 minutes until just  softened.
3. Sprinkle on some flour about 1 tablespoon, salt and pepper to taste. Chopped herbs of choice ( I used thyme and herbs de Provence). Add 1 cup beef broth and 1 cup Newcastle Brown ale. ( I think any ale or beer would work).
4. Heat to boiling.  Now I added about 4 to 5 rather thickly sliced potatoes to the top and then popped the lid on and into the oven for about 1 hour at 180C.
5. Take lid off and let potatoes brown for about 20 minutes at 200C, or you can serve the stew with a side dish of new potatoes.

I served with a side salad of round lettuce leaves, chopped apples, walnuts or pecans and crumbled stilton with a ceasar dressing.