Beef Shoulder Braised in Beer
A cheap cut that slow braising turns into meat that falls apart, in beer and cream, with potatoes that are boiled, flattened and fried in garlic oil — crust outside, mash inside.
Go by the meat, not by the clock. One hour is the minimum; depending on the piece it can need an hour and a half or two. It is ready when a cube collapses under gentle pressure from a fork. Cuts with a lot of collagen are tough before that point and tender after: there is nothing in between, and cutting the cooking short is the only way to ruin the dish.
The cream goes in only at the end: it is what takes the bitterness out of the beer.
Ingredients
- 1.2 kg braising beef (shin, shoulder or boneless shank), in 4 x 4 cm cubes
- 1 onion, cut into small dice
- 3 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tbsp mustard
- 500 ml beer (lager or dark, as you prefer)
- 1 litre hot vegetable stock
- 250 ml pouring cream (1 cup)
- Corn or sunflower oil, as needed
- Salt and ground black pepper, to taste
- 4 medium potatoes, washed, skins on
- 1/2 head of garlic, cloves peeled and crushed, for the potatoes
Method
- 1
Browning the meat: in a large, well-preheated pot with a splash of oil, brown the cubes of beef on all sides over high heat, until they have an even colour.
- 2
The braising base and deglazing: add the onion, the chopped garlic and the bay leaf. Season. Cook everything together for 2 minutes and add the tablespoon of mustard along with the 500 ml of beer. Let it reduce for 2 minutes to evaporate the alcohol and pour in the hot vegetable stock. Turn the heat down and cook for at least 1 hour.
- 3
How to know it is ready: pierce a cube and press it with the fork. It is done when it collapses under gentle pressure. If it still resists, give it 30 minutes more and check again — depending on the piece, the total can stretch to an hour and a half or two. This is the step that decides the recipe: cuts with a lot of collagen are tough before and tender after, and there is no midpoint.
- 4
Boiling the potatoes: while the meat cooks, put the whole potatoes with their skins in another pot of salted water. Cook them at a gentle boil until a knife goes in easily. Take them out of the water and, while they are still warm, flatten them with the palm of your hand into a thick 'medallion', taking care not to break them apart completely. Set aside.
- 5
Binding and softening the sauce: with the meat now tender, add a little more stock if it looks too dry. Pour in the cup of cream, mix well and cook over low heat for 5 minutes more — the cream is what takes the bitterness out of the beer.
- 6
Browning and scenting the side dish: heat a wide pan, cover the base with a good splash of oil and add the crushed garlic cloves to scent it. Add the flattened potato medallions and brown them over gentle heat on both sides until a crisp crust forms. Season.
- 7
Serving: present the cubes of beef very hot, bathed in the reduced beer and cream sauce, with the garlic-fried flattened potatoes alongside.