Beer Braised Beef with Thyme, Mushrooms and Beans

I spent all weekend frustrated by the terrible light, brought on by extremely dark, stormy skies. And then slowly became aware of what was going on in the world around me, and was grateful that all I had to worry about was lighting for food photography. The devastation in Texas and Oklahoma has been just that, devastating, and there are no adequate words. So like others, I hugged my children, told them how lucky we are, and tried to get the images out of my head. Wished I could do more, but from hundreds of miles away, donations are about the extent of it. Likewise, there is no graceful way to segue to food, other than to say a more comforting bowl of food could not be had.

I loved this meal, which I adapted from a Rick Bayless recipe. I knew I would–beer, braised beef, mushrooms, beans, what’s not to love?–but it exceeded my expectations. It is luscious, velvety and rich without being too heavy or fatty. It needs nothing other than a green salad to be served with it, and maybe a squeeze of lime to brighten it up. It can be made with canned beans, but I am convinced that homemade beans and their cooking stock really elevate the dish. And be sure to use good, hearty mushrooms. Any wild mushrooms will work, just avoid the white buttons.

4 from 1 vote

Print

Beer Braised Beef with Thyme, Mushrooms and Beans

Adapted from Rick Bayless.

Course: Entree

Cuisine: Mexican

Keyword: beans, beef, beer, mushrooms, thyme

Author: TheSpicedLife

Ingredients

For the beans:

• 1 lb dried white beans, I used Rancho Gordo's Mayacoba
• 1/2 large white or yellow onion, chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, minced

For the stew:

• 4 lbs bone-in beef chuck, short ribs would work as well
• 3 dried New Mexican chile peppers
• 2 tablespoons olive or vegetable oil
• Salt and black pepper, to taste
• 1/2 large white or yellow onion, chopped
• 6-8 cloves garlic, minced
• 16 ounces shitake and crimini mushrooms, sliced
• 1 12- oz bottle of beer, I used Corona as it was all I had
• 2 cups beef broth, low-sodium if store bought
• 1 T chopped fresh thyme leaves
• 1 15- oz can fire roasted tomatoes
• 2 large yellow onions, cut into wedges or thick slices
• lime wedges for garnish

Instructions

1. Salt and pepper the beef chuck and let sit while preparing the beans. Preheat the oven to 275 F.
2. Begin the beans first, earlier in the day. Cover the dried beans by 2 inches of water and bring to a boil. Add the 1/2 onion, chopped, and the 4 cloves of garlic, minced. Bring to a rolling boil and let boil for 5 minutes. Then cover and reduce the heat to maintain a gentle simmer. Check periodically to make sure the beans are still covered by water.
3. Begin the stew after the beans have started simmering. Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the dried New Mexico chile peppers and roast until darkened and fragrant, a matter of minutes. Do not let burn. Remove the dried peppers to a bowl and leave the oil in the Dutch oven.
4. Add the beef chuck to the pot and brown on both sides, about 8 minutes per side. After it is browned, remove it to a large bowl.
5. Add the remaining chopped onion to the pot with a pinch of salt. Add a splash of water if needed to prevent burning. Cook the onions, stirring occasionally, until they are golden brown and translucent, around 8 minutes.
6. Add half of the mushrooms and toss with the onion. Add a pinch of salt and cook until the mushrooms are browning. Then add the remaining mushrooms with a pinch of salt and toss again. Add a splash of water if needed again. Cook until those mushrooms are browning.
7. Add the beer, fire roasted tomatoes, garlic, chopped thyme leaves and beef broth. Bring to a boil. Add the beef chuck and roasted chile peppers back to the pot, along with all accumulated juices. Toss the onion wedges (or thick slices) over the beef and cover tightly with a heavy lid. Place in the preheated oven.
8. After a while, check the beans. When they are mostly tender, add a teaspoon of salt. Then remove the beef from the oven, and add the beans, including their cooking liquid, to the pot. Mix the beans in and turn the beef over at the same time.
9. Return the pot, tightly covered, to the oven. At 275 F the beef will need to cook for approximately 4-5 hours. If you need to speed the process up, you can cook the dish at 300 F, but you will have to be more careful at the end about not letting it overcook.
10. Serve with wedges of lime.