Mom's Beer Stew

Another one of my favorites recipes that Mom makes. I don't know where she got the recipe from, but I have not seen any recipe exactly like it. Hungarian Goulash is similar but does not use beer, one of the main ingredients. Beef Carbonnade, a Finish stew, is also similar but does not use paprika and tomato puree, and it has more of a sweet sour accent to it due to a little brown sugar and vinegar.

Finally, I found a recipe that is almost like Mom's and is also served with noodles. It is called German Goulash, and was submitted to https://www.tasteofhome.com/ by Johnna Johnson from Scottsdale, Arizona. She says, “I always think of goulash from living in Germany when my father was in the Army there. We had a German friend who didn't speak English, but she would always bring us her traditional dishes to try and this was one of my favorites.” Johnna makes hers in a pressure cooker. The picture to the right is from her recipe.

You can try making your own Kluski noodles if you like: Homemade Kluski Noodles.

Mom's Beer Stew Recipe

4 lbs cubed stew beef (or one round or chuck roast, cut into 1 inch cubes)
2 onions, chopped
couple Tbsp. bacon fat, as needed
2 tsp. paprika
1 Tbsp. flour
1 pint tomato puree
1 cup beef stock
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 bay leaf
2 sprigs parsley
1 can of beer
Kluski noodles, cooked and drained (can also use wide egg noodles)

Melt a small amount of bacon fat in a large sauce pan and brown the stewed beef in batches. Add about 1/4 of the meat at a time. You want the meat to brown on the outside but still be rare on the inside. If you add too much at a time the meat juices tend to boil the meat instead of browning it so leave space between the pieces when you put them in. Do not stir the beef cubes, instead let the beef sit until it starts to stick to the pan. Then flip it and brown the other side. As the beef browns, remove and place in a bowl.

Cook the onions in the same pan until they are translucent, adding more bacon fat if necessary. Add the meat to the pan, along with the paprika and flour. Stir until the flour is mixed in with the bacon fat. Add the tomato puree, beef stock, garlic, bay leaf, and parsley. Bring to a boil, turn down the heat and simmer for 3 or more hours until beef is tender. Stir occasionally.

Fifteen minutes before serving, add a can of beer to flavor and thin sauce. Let cook until sauce is hot again.

Serve over cooked Kluski noodles.