Slow cooker beer-braised beef with kale recipe

When I found a couple of bottles of O'Doul's nonalcoholic beer in the far recesses of my refrigerator, along with a partial bag of chopped kale, I searched the pantry and freezer for other ingredients that would bring those two together. This year I've made a real effort to cook with more dark leafy greens, especially kale, and though I didn't love it in January, I can say honestly that I love kale now. For my husband Ted, a true believer when it comes to any variation of beef stew, I decided to put that "near beer" to good use in this braised beef with kale. The slow cooker makes it easy; let the beef cook all day while you're out finishing your holiday shopping, and half an hour before you serve, stir in the kale so it retains some texture without turning to mush. Like all stews, it's even better the second day, and it freezes well, too.

Slow cooker beer-braised beef with kale

From the pantry, you'll need: olive oil, bacon, all-purpose flour, onions, brown sugar, garlic, bay leaves, Dijon mustard, cider vinegar, cayenne pepper.

Adapted slightly from Slow Cooker Comfort Food, this recipe serves 6.

Ingredients

4 slices bacon, chopped into 1-inch lengths
2 lbs stew beef, cut into 2-inch chunks
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 tsp olive oil
3 medium onions, thinly sliced
2 Tbsp packed brown sugar
4 large cloves garlic, chopped
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp fresh black pepper
2 bay leaves
1-1/2 Tbsp Dijon mustard
1 12-oz bottle beer or non-alcoholic beer (I use O'Doul's)
1 Tbsp cider vinegar
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
4 cups chopped kale

Directions

In a large frying pan over low-medium heat, cook the bacon until it just begins to brown. With a slotted spoon, remove the bacon, leaving the fat in the pan. Transfer the bacon to a 5- or 6-quart slow cooker.

Place the flour in a mixing bowl. Dry the beef with a paper towel, and toss the chunks in the flour to coat; shake off the excess. Brown the beef on all sides, in batches if necessary so the pan isn't overcrowded. Transfer the browned beef to the slow cooker.

In the frying pan, add the oil and the onions, and sauté the onions until they start to brown. Add the sugar, garlic, salt and pepper, and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds, until the sugar dissolves. Stir in the bay leaves, mustard and beer. Bring to a boil, scraping with a rubber spatula to get up all of the brown bits in the pan. Pour the mixture into the slow cooker.

Cover the slow cooker, and cook on LOW for 8 hours, until the beef is quite tender.

In a small cup, stir together the cider vinegar and cayenne pepper. Add this to the beef, and stir.

Remove the bay leaves.

In two or three batches, add the kale to the beef. Submerge each batch with a spatula before adding the next batch. Turn the cooker to HIGH, and cook for 20-30 minutes, until the kale is cooked.

Serve hot, over pasta or egg noodles. Or, remove from the slow cooker, allow to cool to room temperature, and pack into containers. Refrigerate or freeze.

[Printer-friendly recipe.]

More recipes in The Perfect Pantry:
Slow cooker sweet and smoky beef
Pakistani "old clothes" beef curry (nihari)
Slow cooker beef stew with potatoes, parsnips and rutabaga
Beef, ale and onion stew
Beef stew

Other recipes that use these pantry ingredients:
Beef fajitas with lime beer marinade, from Andrea Meyers
Beer-braised beef with onions, from The Pioneer Woman Cooks
Bacon and beer carbonara, from Eclectic Recipes
Cheddar and ale soup with potato and bacon, from Brown Eyed Baker
Spaghetti with kale, bacon and brie cheese, from Eat, Live, Run

Disclosure: The Perfect Pantry earns a few pennies on cookbooks purchased through the Amazon.com links in this post.

Slow cooker beer-braised beef with kale

From the pantry, you'll need: olive oil, bacon, all-purpose flour, onions, brown sugar, garlic, bay leaves, Dijon mustard, cider vinegar, cayenne pepper.

Adapted slightly from Slow Cooker Comfort Food, this recipe serves 6.

Ingredients

4 slices bacon, chopped into 1-inch lengths
2 lbs stew beef, cut into 2-inch chunks
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 tsp olive oil
3 medium onions, thinly sliced
2 Tbsp packed brown sugar
4 large cloves garlic, chopped
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp fresh black pepper
2 bay leaves
1-1/2 Tbsp Dijon mustard
1 12-oz bottle beer or non-alcoholic beer (I use O'Doul's)
1 Tbsp cider vinegar
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
4 cups chopped kale

Directions

In a large frying pan over low-medium heat, cook the bacon until it just begins to brown. With a slotted spoon, remove the bacon, leaving the fat in the pan. Transfer the bacon to a 5- or 6-quart slow cooker.

Place the flour in a mixing bowl. Dry the beef with a paper towel, and toss the chunks in the flour to coat; shake off the excess. Brown the beef on all sides, in batches if necessary so the pan isn't overcrowded. Transfer the browned beef to the slow cooker.

In the frying pan, add the oil and the onions, and sauté the onions until they start to brown. Add the sugar, garlic, salt and pepper, and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds, until the sugar dissolves. Stir in the bay leaves, mustard and beer. Bring to a boil, scraping with a rubber spatula to get up all of the brown bits in the pan. Pour the mixture into the slow cooker.

Cover the slow cooker, and cook on LOW for 8 hours, until the beef is quite tender.

In a small cup, stir together the cider vinegar and cayenne pepper. Add this to the beef, and stir.

Remove the bay leaves.

In two or three batches, add the kale to the beef. Submerge each batch with a spatula before adding the next batch. Turn the cooker to HIGH, and cook for 20-30 minutes, until the kale is cooked.

Serve hot, over pasta or egg noodles. Or, remove from the slow cooker, allow to cool to room temperature, and pack into containers. Refrigerate or freeze.

[Printer-friendly recipe.]

More recipes in The Perfect Pantry:
Slow cooker sweet and smoky beef
Pakistani "old clothes" beef curry (nihari)
Slow cooker beef stew with potatoes, parsnips and rutabaga
Beef, ale and onion stew
Beef stew

Other recipes that use these pantry ingredients:
Beef fajitas with lime beer marinade, from Andrea Meyers
Beer-braised beef with onions, from The Pioneer Woman Cooks
Bacon and beer carbonara, from Eclectic Recipes
Cheddar and ale soup with potato and bacon, from Brown Eyed Baker
Spaghetti with kale, bacon and brie cheese, from Eat, Live, Run

Disclosure: The Perfect Pantry earns a few pennies on cookbooks purchased through the Amazon.com links in this post.

Comments

Lydia, I love the flavors that make up this stew - and not bad that you add kale. I just received a gift certificate from a large appliance store and told my husband we need to use it to buy a slow cooker and that is all your doing when you keep offering recipes like this (and I kid you not). I love dishes like this all winter long but never really know how to make it. This one I have to try.

Jamie, I think you will love having a slow cooker, because you can cook dinner and bake something wonderful in your kitchen at the same time. I have a big pot of yellow split pea soup working in my slow cooker this morning. Five minutes of prep, no stirring, and off I go for the day.

What a great idea! I never would have thought to combine beef and kale in this way but it sounds like it would be delicious.

Kalyn, it really is good, and yet another way to work those dark leafy greens into some favorite dishes. I'm also learning not to add them to the slow cooker at the beginning of the cook time.

If I wasn't so crazy busy I would make this right now. Maybe next week..., but I think I'll use "real" beer. I add beer to my chili and like it very much.

Donna, any beer will work here! This is a great post-holiday family meal.

OH YUM! You are speaking my language!! I picture these on top some rustic mashed potatoes!

Would not cooking the beef in flour but just browning it on all sides work?