Sunday Best Beef Stew with Herby Suet Dumplings

⏱ 210 min · Serves 6

Deeply savoury braised beef in a glossy ale gravy, topped with cloud-light suet dumplings that steam to fluffy perfection right in the pot. This is the sort of thing that fogs up the kitchen windows and makes everyone wander in early.

Per serving: 830 kcal · 52.0g protein · 54.0g carbs · 42.0g fat

Ingredients

• 1.2kg beef chuck or shin, cut into 4cm chunks
• 2 tbsp plain flour, seasoned generously with salt and pepper
• 3 tbsp beef dripping or vegetable oil
• 2 onions, cut into thick wedges
• 3 carrots, cut into chunky batons
• 2 celery sticks, sliced
• 3 garlic cloves, crushed
• 2 tbsp tomato purée
• 500ml brown ale or stout
• 700ml beef stock
• 2 bay leaves
• 3 sprigs thyme
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tsp English mustard
• 250g chestnut mushrooms, halved
• Salt and black pepper
• For the dumplings:
• 200g self-raising flour
• 100g shredded beef suet (or cold grated butter)
• 2 tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 1 tsp chopped thyme leaves
• 1/2 tsp fine salt
• 120-140ml cold water

Method

1. Heat the oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3. Toss the beef in the seasoned flour, shaking off the excess.
2. Heat 2 tbsp dripping in a large casserole over a high heat and brown the beef in batches, giving each piece proper colour on at least two sides. Don't crowd the pan. Set the browned beef aside.
3. Add the last of the fat, turn the heat to medium and cook the onions, carrots and celery for 8 minutes until starting to colour at the edges. Stir in the garlic and tomato purée and cook 2 minutes more.
4. Pour in the ale, scraping up everything stuck to the base, and let it bubble hard for 3 minutes to cook off the raw edge.
5. Return the beef and any resting juices, then add the stock, bay, thyme, Worcestershire sauce and mustard. Bring to a simmer, season lightly, cover and slide into the oven for 2 hours.
6. Stir in the mushrooms and return to the oven, uncovered this time, for 30 minutes. The beef should be pull-apart tender and the gravy glossy; if it looks thin, simmer on the hob for a few minutes.
7. Make the dumplings: mix the flour, suet, herbs and salt, then stir in just enough cold water to form a soft, slightly sticky dough. Handle it lightly and shape into 8 rough balls.
8. Turn the oven up to 190C/170C fan/gas 5. Sit the dumplings on top of the stew, leaving gaps between them, and bake uncovered for 25-30 minutes until risen, golden on top and cooked through.
9. Rest 5 minutes, fish out the bay and thyme stalks, and serve in wide bowls with buttered greens or mash.