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Beer-Braised Beef Stew – Diabetes-Friendly Recipes

October 29, 2021

Patty James

In general, stews use fatty cuts of meat that can hold up to long, slow cooking. For this diabetic recipe, we’ve used a lean cut of meat, dredged it in flour, and browned it to seal in its juices. It then gets removed from the pan so it won’t get overdone while the other ingredients cook. It’s added back at the end just to reheat.

Mealtime: Dinner
Cuisine type: Irish
Author: UC Berkeley School of Wellness
Cooking time: 47 minutes
Active preparation time: 15 minutes
Number of servings: 4
Dish type: Main
Level: Easy

Ingredients:

¾ pound bottom round of beef, cut into I inch cubes
3 tablespoons flour
3 teaspoons olive oil
2 Spanish onions (1 pound), halved and thinly sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 carrots, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced crosswise
1½ cups dark beer
1 cup chicken broth, homemade or canned
2 tablespoons tomato paste
¾ teaspoon thyme
¾ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper

Directions:

Step 1:

Dredge the beef in the flour, shaking off the excess. In a non-stick Dutch oven or flameproof casserole, heat 1 teaspoon of the oil over medium-high heat. Add half the beef and cook until richly browned about 5 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer the beef to a plate. Repeat with 1 teaspoon of oil and the remaining beef. Set aside.

Step 2:

Reduce the heat to medium. Add the remaining 1 teaspoon oil to the pan along with the onions and garlic, and cook, stirring frequently, until golden brown, about 10 minutes.

Step 3:

Add the carrots and cook, stirring frequently, until tender, about 10 minutes.

Step 4:

Stir in the beer and cook until the beer is reduced by half, about 5 minutes.

Step 5:

Stir in the broth, tomato paste, thyme, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook until the vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes. Return the beef to the pan and cook until just heated through, about 2 minutes.

Equipment:

frying pan
slotted spoon
Dutch oven

Tips and Notes:

Even Healthier: No salt or salt to taste, use low sodium or sodium-free chicken broth, use whole-grain flour
Options: Use gluten-free flour to make gluten-free
Waste Reduction Tip: Place all the vegetable scraps in a container or bag and place in the freezer. Add to it whenever you have vegetable scraps, onion skins, garlic peels, even lemons after you’ve squeezed out the juice. When it’s full, place all scraps in a pan, cover with cold water, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Strain, now discard vegetable trimmings. You have vegetable stock! Note: do not use very flavorful vegetable scraps such as asparagus or broccoli, as your finished stock will be too strong.