Beef Stew with Newcastle Brown Ale and Dumplings

• servings: SERVES 6-8
• total time: 2.5 hrs

Ingredients

1kg/ 2lb 3oz shin of beef (or use flank or neck), chopped into chunks

3 tablespoons flour

olive oil

3 red onions, peeled, halved and roughly sliced

50g/1¾oz pancetta or smoked streaky bacon, chopped

3 sticks of celery, chopped

1 small handful of rosemary, leaves picked

1.3 litres/2 pints

Newcastle Brown ale

2 parsnips, peeled and roughly chopped

2 carrots, peeled and roughly chopped

4 potatoes, peeled and roughly chopped

sea salt

ground black pepper

Directions

Season the beef, sprinkle with the flour and toss around until well coated. Heat up a frying pan until it is good and hot, add a little olive oil and fry the beef in 2 batches until nice and brown. Transfer the meat to a big casserole - one which is suitable to go on a hob - mixing in the flour that was left on the plate after coating it. Put the casserole on a medium heat, add the onions and pancetta, and cook until the onions are translucent and the pancetta has a bit of colour. Add your celery and rosemary. Now you can pour in your Newcastle Brown and 285ml/½ pint of water, adding your parsnips, carrots and potatoes. (Feel free to add whatever veg you like at this, stage.) Bring to the boil, put a lid on, turn down the heat and leave it to simmer while you make the dumplings - which are choice.

Blitz the dumpling ingredients in a blender or rub between your fingers till you have a breadcrumb consistency, then add just enough water to make a dough that isn't sticky. Divide it into ping-pong-ball-sized dumplings and put these into the stew, dunking them under. Put the lid back on and leave it to cook for 2 hours. Taste it, season it as you like, and then serve the stew with some cavolo nero or other greens and loads of bread to mop up the juices.