Fending off frostbite

It has been really cold around here this week. Now, now...before you roll around on the floor laughing, I don't mean California-cold, when the mercury dips below 60 degrees F and you think you might just need a sweater. No, I mean really cold. Frost-on-the-ground cold. Citrus-farmers-freaking-out-about-ruined-harvests cold. Don't roll your eyes! If there is a shortage of lemons next year, then you'll be sorry you doubted me.

Anyway, if you cannot appreciate my complaints of frozen toes and need for warm blankets, then at least appreciate my culinary means of overcoming the cold. It is stew season, people, and this one is a great one! I am often disappointed by beef stews, as they can be a bit bland, but this one avoids that by using beer (I mean, it has to be good then!) and a little touch of vinegar and mustard at the end, to give it a tang. Only a slight tang, mind you, nothing strong enough to alert those little (or indeed grown-up) palates around the table to the presence of mustard, just in case, like mine, they seem to believe that mustard is the food of the devil.

For once, I am up to date in terms of provenance, as this one comes from the current issue of Cooking Light magazine, subtitled "The Stress-Free-Holiday issue". (If I didn't have you at 'beer', then I'm betting your sold now!). I have hardly tweaked nor twisted - it has the word 'classic' in the title, so I just couldn't :-) All I did was reduce the salt a little and add some more beef, since I feel like I'm feeding the five thousand, rather than 5, in this house.

Enjoy, and stay warm (PS, if my husband is reading this, a new pair of fuzzy slippers for Christmas might be in order!)

Classic Slow Cooker Beef Stew
Serves 6-8

2 1/2 lbs trimmed boneless beef, cut into 2" cubes
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
2 TBSP canola/sunflower oil
3 medium onions, halved lengthwise and cut into 1/2" slices
6 garlic cloves, minced
1 12 oz bottle nut brown ale (not too hoppy)
1 1/4 cups beef stock/broth
1 1/2 lbs baby potatoes, halved
1 lb carrots, peeled and cut into 2" lengths
1 tsp dried thyme, or 4 fresh thyme sprigs
2 bay leaves
2 TBSP AP/plain flour
1 TBSP Dijon mustard
1 TBSP red wine vinegar
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped, to serve

1. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle beef with 1/4 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper. Add 1 1/2 tsp oil to skillet and add beef. Cook for 6-8 minutes until well browned. Remove beef from skillet and place in slow cooker stoneware.
2. Add remaining oil to skillet and sauté onions and garlic for 4 minutes. Add beer, scraping skillet bottom to remove all those tasty browned bits. Bring to boil and cook for 2 minutes. Add 1 cup stock, remaining salt and remaining pepper. Bring to a simmer then carefully pour contents into slow cooker.
3. Add potatoes, carrots, thyme and bay leaves to slow cooker, and cook on LOW for 7 hours (or HIGH for 3 1/2 hours).
4. Combine remaining 1/4 cup stock with flour, stirring with a whisk. Stir this mixture into the stew and cook for a further 15 minutes. Stir in mustard and vinegar. Discard bay leaves (and fresh thyme sprigs, if using) and serve in bowls sprinkled with fresh parsley.