1 1/2 lb beef
6 oz lean bacon, cubed
1 lb shallots or small onions
3 cloves garlic
1 bouquet garni
1 tbsp sugar
1 salt and pepper
1 basil and parsley
1 tbsp butter
2 tbsp flour
1 tbsp wine or cider vinegar
1 bottle of stout
Directions
Saute the beef and bacon in a little oil. Drain off the excess
liquid. Remove the meat anmd set aside. Add the butter to the pan,
and melt. Stir in the flour to make a roux. Gradually stir in the
stout. Place the meat and the small onions (peeled) in a deep
casserole dish, and season with the salt, pepper and herbs. Crush the
garlic and add to the ingredients. Sprinkle the sugar on top, and
pour in the sauce. Cover and place in the oven. Cook very gently for
up to 3 hours at 300F. Check occasionally. If the casserole seems to
be drying a little, you can add more stout. Remove from the oven and
mix in the vinegar. Serve with lots of boiled potatoes to sop up the
sauce.
Servings: 4 servings
Beef & Stout Casserole Recipe brought to you by Recipe Ideas
Categories: Beef; Casserole; Main Dish; Meat
The History of Recipes
Written cooking instructions as a concept can be traced back into distant history, certainly as far into history as the early Egyptians, and potentially, even further back. Interesting though that is, sadly, these early recipes were just very basic pictorial recipes for food preparation.
In fact, the oldest recipe found, according to Professor Solomon Katz, are a few tablets in the Sumerian language which recount the making of bread which is then used to make a drink, quite possibly a form of beer as it is recorded as having made anyone who tried it feel `wonderful`. Later on, we have some recipe books which appeared in the 14th Century - a recipe book published under the title `Forme of Cury`, and another named `Curye on Inglish`. Surprisingly, they are unconnected to the curry that appears on menues today, but instead accounts of the types of meals prepared by the chefs of the rich and wealthy people of that period. Later on in the 1400s, knights returning from the crusades brought us many foods and herbs from the East, including coriander, basil and rosemary. These new herbs and spices led to an eruption in manuscripts on cooking, some of which are now in private cookery archives. For the next few years, the wealthy families of Europe competed with each other to offer the most extravagent meals, and as a result the best cooks and their recipes were highly sought after. Nevertheless, it was during the 19th century that cooking and recipe publications rose to prominence. Mrs Beeton in the UK, and the equally well-known Fannie Farmer in the US, dedicated the best years of their lives to collecting, trying out, and publishing recipes to allow everyone to enjoy them. The introduction of the TV brought us TV cookery programs and the demand for the accompanying recipe books. Which pretty much brings us up to date and the invention of the internet, permitting everyone to search through massive numbers of recipes like the ones you can find on our site. |
We hope you enjoy this Beef & Stout Casserole recipe.
