Sous Vide Beer-braised Beef Stew

Convenient cubes of beef cook to perfect tenderness in a beer-laced broth; the beef remains a little pink inside which keeps the meat juicy. Look for well marbled beef for the best flavour and texture in this stew. The natural juices of the beef and aromatic vegetables are all you need for a deep flavour. The resulting broth is thinner than a typical stew and is best served over creamy mashed potatoes or egg noodles. The stew can be served directly from the sous vide though it’s not as hot as a typical stew, so a quick heat-up in the saucepan just before serving will bring it up to steaming.
Yield 8 Servings Prep. Time 20 min Cooking Time 856 min Total Time 876 min

Ingredients

Here are the following ingredients:

  • 2 lb (1 kg) Beef Stew Cubes
  • Salt and fresh ground pepper
  • 2 tbsp (30 mL) vegetable oil, divided
  • 1 large onion, finely chopped
  • 3 EACH carrots and parsnips, finely chopped
  • ½ tsp (2 mL) dried rosemary
  • 1 cup (250 mL) beer, preferably dark or amber
  • 3 tbsp (45 mL) tomato paste

Shopping List

Here are the following shopping items to buy:

Method

Follow these cooking methods/directions:

  1. Set up water bath for sous vide and preheat to 140°F (60°C) according to manufacturer’s directions.

  2. Pat beef dry with paper towel and season with ½ tsp (2 mL) salt and ¼ tsp (1 mL) pepper. Heat 1 tbsp (15 mL) of the oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet. Brown beef, in 2 batches and adding more oil as needed, for 8 to 10 minutes, turning until browned on all sides. With slotted spoon, transfer to a bowl. Set aside.

  3. Add remaining oil to skillet and reduce heat to medium-low. Add onion, carrots, parsnips, rosemary and ¼ tsp (1 mL) each salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, for about 8 minutes or until onions are softened. Add to beef in bowl. Pour beer and tomato paste into skillet and bring to a boil, scraping up brown bits from bottom of pan. Remove from heat.

  4. Add beef and vegetable mixture to a large bag for sous vide (vacuum, sealable freezer or reusable silicone). Pour in beer mixture. Remove as much air as possible and seal the bag  using vacuum sealer.

  5. Immerse bag in preheated water bath and secure it to the side of the pot with a clip, keeping the top of the bag above the surface of the water. Cover water bath with foil or plastic to reduce evaporation. Cook sous vide for 14 hours, replenishing water as necessary.

  6. Remove the beef from the water bath. Open bag and pour stew into a large saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring often, just until piping hot. Serve in warmed bowls.