Slow cooked tender beef and beautifully flavoursome veg, this beef and ale stew is amazing easy-to-cook comfort food – perfect for a crockpot or slow cooker! This is my version that uses a slow cooker instead of an oven, and has been tweaked and perfected over the 100-or-so times I’ve made it! Once the weather turns, this is usually the first beef and ale stew we turn to for a hearty winter warmer.

What’s the best type of beef for a stew? Stews work amazingly well in a slow cooker because it allows use of cheaper cuts of meat, which get better the longer they’re cooked. Cheaper cuts of meat come from well-worked muscles, that tenderise as you cook them for long periods of time. Whatever you do, do not let your butcher sell you an expensive cut of meat.

After hours of cooking it’ll be dry and horrible! What’s the best type of ale to use for Beef and Ale Stew? They have an outstanding full flavour and add an element of sweetness to the dish. If you’re after a suggestion, then Adnams Broadside is an awesome beer to try.

Same goes for IPAs, you’ll get a hoppy twang in the stew which can be unpleasant. Can I make Beef and Ale Stew with non-alcoholic beer? A good non-alcoholic beer suggestion is Low Alcohol Old Speckled Hen. Can this be used to make a pie? It’s really easy to adapt this beef and ale stew into a pie. Once cooked, divide the recipe into pie dishes and top with ready-made puff pastry. You can check out our Slow Cooker Steak Pie for a guide.

Slow cooked tender beef and beautifully flavoursome veg, this dish is amazing easy-to-cook comfort food! Sear the beef in a hot pan in a little oil. Season well with salt and pepper and coat in 1 tbsp of flour. Pour the ale into the same pan and cook for a few minutes on a high heat to cook off the alcohol then remove from the heat.