Beef Stew and Dumplings in an Ale Gravy
Beef stew and suet dumplings, a British institution; slowly cooked chunks of meat simmered in a beer-based gravy with root vegetables.
Potatoes, parsnips, carrots and onions make up the vegetable element, and the suet dumplings are so simple to make but add so much!
A Very British Stew with Suet Dumplings
So many cultures around the world have a classic beef stew.
From Hungarian Marha porkolt to French beef daube all the way to Indonesian spicy beef rendang, Filipino beef kaldereta, Italian spezzatino di manzo, Greek kokkinisto and Belgian Carbonnade Flamande, they are so common and so delicious.
Beef stew and dumplings are the British variant that I grew up with. Although my Mom definitely would not have cooked with beer... ever!
My version is pretty traditional and features big chunks of seared beef and root veg. It is all simmered nice and slow in a simple, boldly flavoured gravy.
The suet dumplings are the icing on the cake. They were likely a source of stretching a meal further, but I honestly think that they are the star of the dish.
If it doesn't have dumplings, it ain't a proper "English" stew as far as I am concerned.
They have a fairly neutral flavour, but they mop up all of that boozy ale gravy perfectly.
This recipe may very well be one of the first things that I taught myself to cook when I left home. After I ran out of money to buy takeaways, that is!
If you want a different retro take on a British beef stew, then check out my baked bean and corned beef stew, beef mince and dumplings, and lamb stew with dumplings recipes!
Frequently Asked Questions
What are Suet Dumplings?
Suet is the fatty coating that covers the kidney and liver; it does not sound particularly appetising. But it is the most wonderful fat to use.
I use dried suet made by Atora; it's the stuff my Mom and Nan used. Most likely her Mum too used it too, it has been around since the 1890s!
My suet dumpling recipe and method lead to a crispy topping and soft and squidgy underbelly.
But you could equally keep them soft by adding them and cooking with a lid on rather than off.
What cut of beef should I use?
I used brisket for this recipe, but it is great with any stewing beef.
I often use beef shin, a cut of meat that I use in everything from my beef vindaloo to beef and ale pie.
What sort of beer should I use?
I use a porter in this recipe, but any darker beer would be great; you could even use a ruby beer.
You could use stout, which will add a little more "bitterness" to the gravy.
Can I make this in advance?
Yes, this stew reheats wonderfully, although I would eat the dumplings in the first sitting if you scale this up. If you want to cook it in advance, cook it to stage 10, then finish it off with the dumplings when you are ready to serve.
It will be fine in the fridge in an air-tight container for 2-3 days, and will freeze for up to 3 months.
Serving Suggestions
I do like to add a little bit of greenery to go alongside my dark and rich beef and ale stew with suet dumplings.
You could throw some garden peas into the stew for the last few minutes.
But I prefer some freshly cooked veg, here I roasted off some tenderstem broccoli alongside the stew for 10-15 minutes.
Other great accompaniments would be runner beans, fine beans or even some curly kale.
My Mom would often serve stew with Savoy cabbage. As a kid, it always made me pull a face, but now I love it, although I do cook it for far less time; my buttered cabbage recipe would be ideal!
Equipment Used
I only name-check brands of equipment if I think that they make a material difference to a recipe. But if you have any questions, feel free to ask them in the comments section below the recipe.
- Hob/stovetop.
- Oven.
- 24cm or 10" oven-proof saucepan with a lid. Cast iron works best.
- Chopping board.
- Kitchen knife.
- Mixing bowl.
- Stirring and serving spoons.
- Kitchen tongs.
- A combination of weighing scales, a measuring jug, measuring cups and spoons.
Beef Stew and Dumplings Recipe
Ingredients
- 350 g Stewing Beef 12oz
- 100 g Baby Onions ⅔ Cup
- 1 tablespoon Plain Flour
- 350 g Potatoes 2⅓ Cup
- 1 Medium Parsnip 100g
- 150 g Baby Carrots 1 Cup
- ½ teaspoon Coarse Sea Salt Plus extra to taste
- ¼ teaspoon Black Pepper Plus extra to taste
- 2 tablespoon Cooking oil
- 250 ml Dark Beer 1 Cup
- 650 ml Beef Stock 2¾ Cups
- 2 tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
For the Dumplings:
- 35 g Dried Suet ⅓ Cup
- 70 g Plain Flour ⅔ Cup
- 1 teaspoon Baking Powder
- 1 teaspoon Grainy Mustard
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
Instructions
- Cut the beef into 2-2.5cm (¾-1") cubes.
- Top and tail the baby onions, being sure to take just a little off the root and then peel them.
- Peel the potatoes and the parsnip and cut them into a 4-5cm (2") dice.
- Heat a medium oven-proof saucepan (24cm or 9-10" and around 4 litres) over a medium-high heat.
- Season the beef with salt and pepper. When the pan is hot, add half of the cooking oil and then sear the beef.Do this in two batches, remove and set aside when the beef is seared.
- Add the remaining cooking oil, and then add the potatoes, parsnips and baby carrots and onions to the pan and cook for 5 minutes or until they begin to get a bit of colour.
- Return the beef to the pan and turn the temperature up to high.
- Pour in the beer and reduce by two thirds.
- Mix the flour with a little of the beef stock and stir to form a slurry.
- Add the flour slurry to the pan, followed by the beef stock and Worcestershire sauce and stir well. Have a taste and add a little more salt and pepper if you think it needs it.Add a lid to the pan and transfer to the oven, and cook for 90 minutes at 160°C or 320°F
- Mix together the suet with the plain flour for the dumplings, baking powder, grainy mustard and salt.Add the water for the dumplings a little at a time until it forms a single, quite sticky dough.
- Form the dough into 4 evenly sized dumplings and add them to the stew, return the lid and pop the pan back into the oven for another 45 minutes.Remove the lid and cook for a final 15 minutes to crisp up the top of the dumplings.
This looks totally scrumptious. I could eat this just about every other day. Nothing like a beef stew, right? Brilliant recipe. ??
Those dumplings look absolutely PERFECT!! It's been such a long while since I've made any dumplings... this was just the nudge I needed!
This looks totally scrumptious. I could eat this just about every other day. Brilliant recipe. ??
Absolutely,cozy night memories from my childhood 😀
Those dumplings look absolutely PERFECT!! It's been such a long while since I've made any dumplings... this was just the nudge I needed!
Haha, it's nice to inspire and your comment this afternoon has persuaded me to add the ingredients for a chicken dumpling casserole to my menu next week 😀
My husband is English, I am American. He had his mother bring 6 damn packs of suet over so we'd never be without haha, he still has yet to make anything with them! So here I am being a good wife and learning the ways. Thank you for the recipe, the mustard sounds nice, although I'm not entirely sure I know what grainy mustard is, better ask hubby. Stew smells wonderful!
Haha, that certainly is a lot of suet to use up 😀 Grainy mustard has whole grains of mustard seed in them and is typically a little milder than a standard 'yellow' mustard. You should definitely google steamed suet pudding, that will help you use up some of your stash and is a wonderfully soft and indulgent sweet treat 🙂
I have my eyeball on those dumplings. I love huge dumplings. I also love how the veggies are in big chunks, too. This is one good looking dish!
Ah dumplings, a poor persons way of padding out a meal and this persons favourite part of a meal 😀
The mustard in the dumplings is a twist I've never seen before, but it's really creative! Something to try should I ever get my hands on suet.
Grainy mustard would work in all sorts of dumplings, you could push some through a simple flour dumpling if you liked... I am sure it will taste great 🙂
Oh gosh, I loooved when my mom would make beef stew. I'm not sure I've ever had suet dumplings, though! Perhaps cause it was too tricky to find suet in NYC? Anyway, I've found a great British shop in town where I get my treacle and suet, haha. Definitely want to give this a try!
Haha, love the idea of a British shop in NYC, we have on in Budapest too but they are delivery only 😀 Fortunately we have enough visitors from the UK who bring stuff over 🙂
You can get beef or pork suet from the butcher in large pieces. Cut the fat into small pieces and render down until you have a lovely smooth liquid (very low heat for about 3 hours). When melted (all but a few stubbon pieces), run it through a sieve lined with muslin. When cool, put in a glass container with a lid in the fridge. It will harden again and become white! crumble that into your dumplings instead of shortening. Yumm:)
I can certainly get behind a stew like this! I have never heard of suet but I can't say for sure if it can or cannot be found here since I've never known to look. I wonder if you could just make a flour based dumpling without the suet if I can't find it in a local grocery store?
Dumplings are all about soaking up gravy so I am sure a flour based dumpling would work just peachy... I have to say I would probably weep if I could not get Suet, it gets used in all sorts from these dumplings to steamed sweet sponge puddings and it is the only pie crust for the wonderful steak and kidney pudding.
No, suet is definitely not one of those foods you hear much about...but in the South we eat our share of dumplings! They are usually a flour base, and I bet even the flour ones would taste pretty awesome in this beef stew.
How on earth do you guys cope without suet, before I worked out what to ask for in Hungarian I had dried Suet imported in from the UK 😉 It makes a perfect steamed crust for a UK pie called a 'pudding' and also in some dessert steamed sponges. But you are right, the purpose of the dumpling is to mop up sauce so I am sure a flour based duumpling will work wonderfully.
Add in Worcestershire sauce - not in list of ingrediants - give me a clue 🙂
Pat
I was just testing my readers Pat... Honest 😉 I have updated the recipe, thanks for shouting it up, I really hate proof reading, I am rubbish at it 😉
Venison for Christmas! Man, that sounds fantastic. You guessed right, suet enthousiasm isn't exactly running rampant in the US - at least not that I'm aware. Some people put it in their bird feeders, and were it not for that, I wouldn't've known the word until I started messing around in the kitchen and read it in The Art of French Cooking. Lard is similar to suet, from what I understand, and I have cooked with it. Regarding the rest of the stew, though, I'll bet that stout is fantastic with the beef! Nice going!
Cheers Jeff... I am lost about Suet, how do you make suet puddings the mind boggles 😉 Lard and Suet are typically very different with lard being the rendered fat from beneath the pug skin although latterly it has come to mean and rendered pig fat where as suet is typically the coarse and quite dry fat that surrounds beef offal rather that the fat beneath the skin which would be beef dripping. It really is a fabulous ingredient that has no parallel but I'm sure you could sub with some great butter based flour dumplings.