I’m a great fan of cooking with alcohol. A glass of wine in my hand, another for the pot is good. Usually I use wine, but on this occasion I used beer, a dark beer called Hobgoblin (don’t you just love the names of some of the Ales produced in England!).
The recipe was another of my beloved slow cooked dishes, a pot roast this time, and it’s a perfect all in one dish that just needs some boiled potatoes or creamy mash to soak up all those delicious juices. Any leftovers make a perfect topping for pasta.
The steam in the photos must be the Hobgoblin escaping from the finished dish….
Ingredients (to serve 6 people)
- 2 onions peeled and cut into quarters
- 8 small carrots peeled and cut into large wedges
- 3 celery sticks cut into pieces about the same size as the carrots
- 2 leeks, cut into large chunks (or substitute any of your favourite root vegetables)
- A piece of brisket, about 1.5kg
- About 300ml of dark beer (don’t use Guinness though, it will be too bitter in the final dish)
- About 100ml of beef stock
- A little olive oil and flour
Dust the joint of meat with flour and in a deep frying pan with a little oil, brown the meat all over. Season the joint, remove and put into the cooking pot or slow cooker. Add the vegetables to the frying pan and cook until the onion starts to turn brown at the edges, then put them into the slow cooker (or oven dish if you are cooking in a conventional oven).
Pour the beer and stock into the frying pan and scrape up the juices from the beef. Sprinkle in a level tablespoon of flour and stir as you heat the liquid. It will start to thicken slightly. Bring the liquid to a boil and pour over the meat.
Cook in the slow cooker for an hour on high and then for about a further 7 hours on low until the meat is really tender. In a conventional oven it will need about 4 hours on low. You will need to turn the meat over 2 or 3 times during the cooking period as it will not be covered entirely by the liquid in the pot.
When it is cooked, remove the meat and vegetables from the sauce. If the sauce looks too thin, put it into a pan and either fast boil it to reduce or make a beurre manié . It’s made with equal parts of butter and flour mixed together and stirred into the hot liquid – about a tablespoon of each for this dish. Add it to the liquid and cook until thickened. Check for seasoning and adjust if necessary, pour over the meat and vegetables and enjoy.
Chica Andaluza 
Tanya, that looks AMAZING. The meat is SO tender! I can almost taste it from here! 🙂
I think the trendy folk would call it “pulled beef”! It was wonderful and made the meat go a long way (which we like!).
That does look fantastic and I bet the beer goblins worked very well 😉
The beer goblins worked hard and did a sterling job for us!
🙂
Looks great. My husband would love it!
A very traditional and warming dish!
Oh my, this is just what we need on our table this week Tanya! The weather has cooled off dramatically in the past few days… I’m now craving slow-cooked everything! Yum!
Ooh that sudden drop in temperature which makes you think of warming foods after a hot summer…I love the changes of seasons J
I can almost smell it – oh wow! Mmmm… It is much to warm here already to even consider it, yet I’m thinking of turning on the AC just to make this! Oh the steam and oh the bread in the background! Hungry NOW!
Probably not the right food for where you are….wait 6 months or so…. 😉
Lovely recipe especially with our weather becoming punishing with cold and nasty winds! BUT, did not know there was a way to cook without alcohol, well roughly at the rate of 2:1 🙂 ! Shall have to look for a suitable local brew!!
Love it! And yes, perfect for your chilly autumn and our unpredictable year round weather in England!
Oh, yes please. I’ve had some of the hobgoblin to drink on a visit to the UK 🙂
Glad you know it Tandy! We have some amazing beers and ales here for lovers of this drink J
oh,….wow
nice picture
Thank you!
yups,……ok
Ooh I’ve used Hobgoblin before in my steak and ale stew. I was really impressed with the flavour it added. Your pot roast looks amazing!
It was a good hearty and warming dish and the beer ale really added something special. I think I chose it because I liked the label!
Good beers work so well in stews like that…good looking pic:)
Thank you Roger J
Am I wrong to think that would be lovely for my breakfast? You have made me so hungry I need to find something substantial. Now.
Not wrong at all…not even odd 😉
One for Daddy to experiment with I think, he likes a slow cooker recipe, might even make me want to eat a beef dish!!
I love my slow cooker – am so glad I bought it!
I’m always reluctant to cook with alcohol, I’m never sure if it comes out right. But your recipe sounds so delicious, I will try it. Thank you.
Go on – be brave, but make sure you save a slurp for the cook!
A few years ago we went nuts and bought lots of different weird imported beers at Christmas time. We actually tried Hobgoblin. You are a poet Ms Chica. You string together food memories and weave them so that I can still be “me” with my new ethics, but can delve into the guilty joy of knowing a taste, a flavour, a texture. It’s no wonder I keep coming back here 😉
Ah thank you – I’m glad you know Hobgoblin (too strong for me as a drink in terms of flavour, but I loved it in this)! I love that we can “share”, even if we don’t consume all the same foods 🙂
Me too. We remember it was strong but Steve drank it anyway. You can never have enough beer! 😉
Good old Steve – glad it didn’t go to waste 😉
yum! i love this recipe! Love the beer addition!
Grazie mille Marcella – it made a nice change from cooking with wine!
Reblogged this on Foodfhonebook.
Love pot roast!
J
Ooo, just a perfect and wonderful meal Tanya. Scrumptious! I will have to hunt one of those hobgoblin down if I ever get to the UK again.
Have a beautiful weekend.
🙂 Mandy xo
You be careful Miss Mandy – Hobgoblin hunting can be dangerous J I will come with you as back up!
LIKE! LIKE! LIKE! Why is there only one button when you need at least three?!
Ah, thank you, thank you, thank you!
Oh goodness, now I’m thinking of slow roasted beef and beer at 10am! That’s magic on a brisket…Love the recipe and the picture with steam rising out it, I can smell the aromas:) Cheers!
Glad you like it Peri – a most warming dish!
Loving the steamy pictures! And the recipe looks delicious too!
It was a case of “snap it quick, we need to eat”!
I love dishes like this. And we too use the leftovers on pasta. Too scrummy for words.
And these sort of dishes improve with a day or two of “ageing”!
Oh yes! Indeedy.
I am delighted to visit this blog because so many know about the variety of food in the world, thanks
Reblogged this on expresssouvenir.
I hovered over the asparagus dish (for me 🙂 ) Tanya but I just know Mick would love this one! And I can get Hobgoblin from the Aldi just round the corner . It must be a sign! Will have to bookmark this one. 🙂 Algarve bound this evening. Take care!
Ooh safe and happy travels!
is it bad when this recipe without alcohol
Omg I really wanna know the taste of this food 🙂
hemm, i like it 😀 i will to try cooking