A Warming Recipe for Autumn

Ahh Autumn, the time of year when we can once again forget about trying to get our summer bodies into shape (ours never got there) and begin working on our winter physique… one which is proving to be very achievable! So in honour of our strict training programme we thought we would return to our favourite stew recipe and share this cosy Autumn eat with you. Perfect for hibernating days. 

Venison is now firmly on the radar as a delicious alternative to beef and with a distinctly succulent and sometimes robust flavour, we can quite understand why.  So without further ado may we present to you our warming recipe for Spicy Venison stew with Belgian Red Ale.

First things first… If you have a cast iron pot, wonderful! If not, then any heavy pot/pan will do perfectly.

Ingredients

• 2 lbs of Venison stewing meat (or a small roasting joint cut into chunks)
• 8 oz of Belgian Red Ale (sour Ale)
• 2 small french onions
• 4 tbsp of extra virgin oil
• 3 tbsp of plain flour
• ½ tsp of hot sauce (heat optional)
• 3 cloves of roasted garlic (mashed)
• 1 cup chopped carrots
• 1 cup of chopped, peeled, seeded tomatoes
• 2 tsps cumin
• 1 tsp coriander
• ½ tsp chilli powder (heat optional)
• 2 tsps oregano
• ½ tsp dried thyme 
• 2 cups of beef stock
• 2 extra beef stock cubes
• 2 tbsp tomato puree 
• 2 cups of par boiled, diced potatoes (skin on)
• season to taste 

Method

• Saute onions in medium pan until tender, then set aside to rest. 
• In your pan add the olive oil and brown the meat to ‘medium/rare’ and set aside to rest
• Leave the oil and juices in the pan and add the flour to make a dark roux
• In a large cooking pan add the roux, Belgian Red Ale and beef stock. Stir until the roux has dissolved. 
• Add the remaining ingredients, salt and pepper to taste
• Cover the pan and put on medium heat to simmer for an hour 

Best enjoyed curled up on the sofa with a glass of red wine!