Beef and Beer Casserole

[judydawn]

This was one of my early recipes. I have revisited it and made some changes.

Name of Recipe: Beef and Beer Casserole
Number of People:Serves 3-4 people
Ingredients:
750g oyster blade steak or ordinary blade steak
 1 packet French Onion Soup mix - salt reduced is best (or use the FOSM recipe from the forum
 1 cup beer - any type                                                               

Preparation:

Dice the steak into 3-4 cm pieces.  Place in TM bowl along with soup mix and beer. You can add the butterfly, I find it helps with keeping pieces whole. 

Cook 45 - 60 minutes, 100 ^o, reverse, soft speed or speed 1 if the meat is not moving, leaving the MC off for the last 10 minutes of cooking time. Check for tenderness of meat and cook longer if required.  If gravy is not thick enough, mix 1 tblespn cornflour with a little water, add to the bowl and continue cooking as above for a further minute.

Photos:

Tips/Hints: I bought 1kg oyster blade and by the time I cut off all the fat, was left with the 750g required for this recipe.  If you aren't quite as fussy as me, it doesn't matter if you put up to 1kg in the bowl.  Nice with mashed potato and steamed vegies.

Don't worry about the kids and the beer as alcohol evaporates at 70oC and just the flavour is left to enjoy.

Following on from review suggestions, add assorted vegies for the last 30 minutes for a one-pot meal.

members' comments

cookie -  it was lovely. I didn't use low salt soup and it was rather salty so next time I will do as was suggested. It has given me inspiration to try some more of those types of things. A lovely, easy recipe.

Update from cookie whilst caravanning -  because the hot plates in the van are where the TMX lives I had no where to cook the vegies. I put them, cut into pieces in the casserole about 25 minutes before the cooking time was up. It was delicious. Another all in one recipe.

CP - thickened at the end with cornflour. will definitely make it again but will try with the soup mix substitute (if I can ever find celery seeds - I'm always driving the supermarket staff mad looking for offbeat ingredients).

Snoozie - This was really yum and so, so easy.
I was going to see what it was like on cous cous (trying to limit starchy/carb food here atm) but didn't have any so it ended up served on packet pumpkin mash.
Variations:
I used a whole bottle of beer not just one cup.
I marinated the meat in the beer for a few hours before cooking.
I threw 2 carrots, a zucchini and potato in the tmx and diced them up somewhat finely and then put in the fridge prior to putting beef, beer, French onion soup in. (My kids don't like eating vegies so try to hide them a bit but I wanted dish to have some colour other than brown!) 20 minutes to go I added the diced up vegies.
I had to use cornflour to thicken up further due to extra fluid used. Again, really simple and delicious flavour.

cattro - I made this as my first dish in my new thermomix.  My husband and kids loved it.  I did what other people said and added vegies in at 25 mins before it finishes cooking.  I found that the potato and carrot wasn't cooked so next time I think I will put in about 40 mins into cooking time so half way.  I also made a foccacia to have with it and for my first attempt at bread it was a huge hit turned out perfect was so proud.  My hubby reckons I set the bar high for myself so think he is expecting it to get better.

[cookie1]

I've printed this off Judydawn and hope to have it this week. Especially if we get a cool day.

[Thermomixer]

I love oyster blade - it has a great mouthfeel,  Yummy.

Wonder if marinating the chunks of meat in the beer overnight (in the fridge) might cut down cooking time and increase the flavour?  Might have to try it.

[cookie1]

I made this tonight Judy and it was lovely. I didn't use low salt soup and it was rather salty so next time I will do as was suggested. It has given me inspiratiion to try some more of those types of things. A lovely, easy recipe.

[judydawn]

Thanks Cookie, it's nice when you hear someone has tried one of your recipes and especially when they enjoyed it

[cookie1]

I made this last night and because the hot plates in the van are where the TMX lives I had no where to cook the vegies. I put them, cut into pieces in the casserole about 25 minutes before the cooking time was up.
It was delicious. Another all in one recipe.

[Cornish Cream]

cookie1 I found this while looking for a substitute for French Onion Soup
http://www.recipezaar.com/recipe/Dry-Onion-Soup-Mix-Substitute-223023
and
http://www.recipezaar.com/recipe/Homemade-Dry-Onion-Soup-Mix-110331
might come in handy sometime.

[judydawn]

Good idea Cookie, 1 pot wonders are great.

Thanks Cornish Cream for those websites, might mix myself up a batch of the second using with the beef granules, that one appeals to me more than the first one. Actually, I could probably chop up my own frozen beef stock cubes instead and place it back in the freezer. 

[Thermomixer]

Gosh JD - just seeing oyster blade again makes me long for this - might ahve to do it at the weekend

[CreamPuff63]

made this last night after it was 'bumped'. thickened at the end with cornflour. will definitely make it again, but will try with the soup mix substitute (if I can ever find celery seeds  - I'm always driving the supermarket staff mad looking for offbeat ingredients)

[obbie]

  Hi, this looks good. I have beef out now, so will make this tonight for dinner.

Robyn

[Zan]

Made this tonight http://thermomixmeals.blogspot.com/2010/08/tuesday-16th-august-smoothie-beef-and.html absolutely yummy. Added carrots and served with rice.

[nelleraye]

Mmm this looks good. Im going to have to try it, I am sure my hubby will think the name sounds like heaven!!! Beef and Beer in the same mouthful!! Haha thanks judydawn!!
 

[Thermomixer]

Good work Zan. 

Yes, nelleraye,  beer generally has that effect on men 

[judydawn]

cookie1 I found this while looking for a substitute for French Onion Soup
http://www.recipezaar.com/recipe/Homemade-Dry-Onion-Soup-Mix-110331
might come in handy sometime.

I made up double quantity of this mixture using 16 tspns fried dried onions I had bought from an Indian shop (a huge packet so I had put it in the freezer), 8 tspns of my own frozen little balls of beef stock concentrate, 2 tspns onion powder and 1/2 tspn pepper.  Placed it in a ziplock bag and back into the freezer - made about 86 grams. Just need to give it a shake to mix all the ingredients up again when spooning out for a recipe.  Instead of using my own beef concentrate, I am going to buy some low salt beef granules for my next lot though due to the result below or if I made beef stock concentrate again, will put very little salt in it at all as it will get frozen anyway and not have to be preserved by the salt for fridge keeping. I'm sure the fried dried onions are much tastier than just dried onions so I think they are worth hunting around for.

I then did this recipe of mine again but this time with 560g defatted and 3cm cubed chuck steak, 230mls beer, 30g of this frozen onion soup mixture.  Cooked 45 mins/90⁰/reverse/speed 1/MC off the whole time. Thickened with 2 tblspns cornflour mixed in 2 tblspns water and cooked a further 2 mins. However, it was very salty because of the amount of salt we put in our concentrated stocks so I added 2 tblspns sour cream, 150g cooked rice and 120g frozen peas to bulk it out a bit.  Cooked 3 more minutes on same temperature etc then added a tad of water to thin it out a little as it wasn't going to be eaten for an hour at least.  By now it wasn't too salty and looked like a beef risotto.  Ended up with a meal we both enjoyed.