Beef in Guinness: it saves on the wine and still offers comfort as autumn turns to winter

As autumn hands over to winter, the beauty of stew is that it is versatile and involves virtually no last-minute effort. It is economical enough for every day, but with careful presentation it can make an elegant dinner party dish as well. This braise is the ideal solution when you want to cook something comforting for cold weather but don’t have stock in the freezer and don’t feel up to opening a bottle of wine for cooking. It uses half a pint (bottle or can) of Guinness – any stout, porter or dark ale will do just as well – which leaves half a pint for the cook. Towards the end of the cooking time, a little cider vinegar is added to liven up the flavour. This method works equally well for cubes of stewing beef, slices of shin or stewing steaks. It is worth asking your butcher’s advice about which cut is good value. I used slices of beef shin, with plenty of connective tissue which becomes meltingly soft after long cooking, but any cut which requires slow cooking will work. Even bavette steak, which is more usually flash-fried, makes an excellent braise. In the traditional recipe the only vegetables used are onions and carrots, but leeks, turnips, celeriac and mushrooms would all make good additions. For the family, serve the stew as it is in the casserole dish. For guests, you could garnish it with some finely chopped parsley (and perhaps finely chopped fried bacon too) and bring it to the table arranged on a heated platter on a bed of brown and black rice, small green lentils, or mash made with olive oil. Serve it with the braising liquid in a sauceboat. This stew would go well with finely shredded savoy cabbage, stir-fried in olive oil with a squeeze of lemon juice, braised red cabbage with apple, or sautéed leeks. Treat the cooking time and quantities as a guide only and make the stew well before you plan to serve it, ideally the day before, as it&nbsp;will benefit from resting and reheating. This recipe, which serves four, will also work well in a slow cooker. <strong>Beef in Guinness</strong> 2lb / 900g stewing beef, cubed, slices or steaks Flour for dusting, spread on a plate 2 onions, cut into chunks 3 large carrots, cut into chunks 2 or 3 sprigs of thyme 2 bay leaves 20 peppercorns ½ pint stout, porter or dark ale Salt Splash of cider or wine vinegar Olive oil for frying Dust the meat in flour, heat the olive oil in a casserole dish or frying pan and brown the meat in small batches. Remove the meat and brown the vegetables and bay leaves. Return the meat with its juices to the dish and add the thyme, peppercorns and a pinch of salt. Pour in the stout, cover with a lid and then turn the heat down as far as it will go so that the stew cooks at a very slow simmer. Cook for three hours, add a little vinegar and simmer gently for another hour or so. Correct seasoning to taste. <strong>Lemon soufflé omelette</strong> This is a quick and simple variation on the classic dish, which also serves four. It requires last-minute attention, but is very easy to make. Whipped cream makes a good accompaniment. 4 eggs Rind of one lemon&nbsp; 1 tbsp lemon juice 1¼ oz/35g caster sugar ½ oz butter Separate the eggs and combine the yolks with the sugar, lemon rind and juice. Beat with an electric whisk for two minutes until the mixture thickens and becomes pale. The egg whites and the yolk mixture can be covered and refrigerated until you are ready to cook. When it is time to serve the omelette, turn on the grill and heat the butter in a heavy-bottomed frying pan. When it is foaming, pour in the mixture. Spread it out with a spatula so that it cooks evenly. Cook over a moderate heat for about five minutes; the egg needs to cook through before the bottom becomes too dark. Run a spatula round the edges to prevent sticking. When the omelette is cooked most of the way through, put the frying pan under the hot grill, but not too close to the element. The idea is to cook it as much as possible while it browns. Watch it carefully, as it can burn quickly. Alternatively, if the frying pan is made entirely of metal, the omelette can be finished in an oven at 180°C / gas mark 4 for five minutes. Be careful not to touch the handle when removing it from the oven! Take the frying pan straight to the table, divide the omelette into pieces with a spatula and serve quickly while it is still puffed up. <strong><strong>This&nbsp;article appears in the October 2024 edition of the&nbsp;<em>Catholic Herald</em>. To subscribe to our award-winning, thought-provoking magazine and have independent, high-calibre, counter-cultural and orthodox Catholic journalism delivered to your door anywhere in the world click&nbsp;<a href="https://catholicherald.co.uk/subscribe/?swcfpc=1"><mark style="background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)" class="has-inline-color has-vivid-cyan-blue-color">HERE</mark></a></strong></strong>.