Braised Beef with Guinness Mushrooms Molasses
Our long hot summer has faded into a glorious autumn. As soon as the sun begins it’s daily descent though, the temperature drops sharply. Dinners have morphed from grills and salads to more substantial fare. At last I can try out all the slow cook recipes and ideas I’ve been collecting from blogs over the northern winter.
A wonderful beef farmer comes to my local farmer’s market once a month. He’s handsome and charming and the beef he raises is superb. I can say with honest conviction that the grass fed Belted Galloway dry aged meat from Warialda Beef is the best I have ever tasted. When a farmer breeds his own herd, then applies the paddock to plate philosophy to his stock, the consumer is the winner.
From experience I know beer, stout and wine make a wonderful braising liquid. I’ve used them all many times before, but I’ve never amped up the flavour of stout with extra molasses nor have I braised a cut of beef whole.
I chose a bolar blade roast for this dish. The cooked meat was incredible, sticky and flavoursome, so tender I could cut it with a fork. Carving the beautifully tender meat was impossible, so pulling it apart was the only option.
The braising liquid had reduced to a richly flavoured sauce by the end of the cooking time.
With our delicious beef we drank a 2006 Charles Melton Nine Popes from our “cellar under the stairs”. A blend of grenache, shiraz and mouvedre from South Australia’s Barossa Valley, this is one of my favourite wines, fantastic every vintage.
Ikg bolar blade roast, trussed
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 carrot diced
1 cup chopped celery tops
4 spring onions, green part only
3 cloves garlic
8-10 medium sized Swiss brown mushrooms
1 heaped tablespoon tomato paste
1 tablespoon molasses
1x 375ml can Guinness
1 cup beef stock
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon freshly ground allspice berries
Parsley
Preheat the oven to 160C.
Finely dice the carrot and half the mushrooms, peel and squash the garlic and finely chop the celery tops and spring onions. Quarter the remainder of the mushrooms.
Heat the oil in a lidded casserole dish that will comfortably contain the meat. Sweat the vegetables over a low heat until they collapse. Add the tomato paste and continue cooking for another 5 minutes. Add the Guinness, herbs, spices and molasses.
Pat the bolar roast dry with paper towel, then in a separate pan brown the meat until well coloured.
Transfer the meat to the casserole dish,then deglaze the saute pan with the stock.
Pour the hot stock over the meat, then add a little water if necessary. The meat should be totally submerged.
Cut a piece of baking paper to fit snugly over the meat, then cover the dish tightly and bake the meat for 3 1/2 hours, turning once during the cooking period.
Remove the meat from the braising liquid and set it aside in a warm place to rest.
Skim the fat from the braising liquid and remove the bay leaves. If needed, place the dish over a high heat and reduce the liquid until it reaches saucing consistency.
Remove the trussing ties from the beef, pull the meat apart with two forks and arrange on a serving platter. Spoon a little sauce over the meat and pass the remainder separately.
Serves 4
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21 comments on “Braised Beef with Guinness Mushrooms Molasses”
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Please Pass the Recipe by Sandra Gay is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 Unported License.
Please Pass the Recipe 
That photo is so gorgeous, it makes me want to make it regardless of the warm weather we finally started to have. I love cooking with Guinness. I’ve even added it to my baking a few times.
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Warm one day cold the next here, I’m loving having wintery food interspersed with salad, feels right!
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That looks and sounds superb! I could almost wish it was colder again…almost!
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I love the four seasons of Melbourne, distinct but not extreme and after a long hot summer the cooler weather is wonderful and the heartier food
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I’m so jealous. Spring is nice where I live, but summers are horribly hot. i wish I could have two homes in two hemispheres!!! A beautiful stew!!!
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Oh I hear you Mimi. Our summers too can be hot, many many days around 110F and beyond. We do get cool weather changes come through and drop the temp 10-15 degrees in 1/2 hour. Fortunately we have a dry heat rather than tropical style humidity. Thank heavens for air con!
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OK – can see just where I am ‘missing’!!! Guinness and molasses it seems – absolutely beloved and enjoyed dish otherwise – no problem whatsoever about eating and enjoying this on a summer evening either 🙂 !
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I can just imagine the combination of intense flavors here – molasses, guinness..looks lovely.
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Thanks Aneela. You’re right the flavour was quite intense, rich and delicious
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Brilliant!
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Thanks!
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I cannot wait to try this recipe when it gets colder! It’s not so long for winter to show up now, and this sounds perfect for a cold winter evening.
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I’m so glad for cooler weather and slow cooked dinners, I hope you enjoy it too when the time comes
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According to weather forcast, the cold might arrive as early as next week, so I’m keeping my fingers crossed… I hate the cold, but love the more potent food that comes with it.
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Oops…love beef and beer! Who lives it?
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Sounds delicious. A must keep for our northern autumn and winter! I really live beef in beer, but you dollop of molasses was inspired!
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It was excellent. The molasses added enormous depth of flavour. Auto correct is such a frustration!!
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I’ve just bought a slow cooker. Would this recipe work?
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I’m sure it would though I can’t recommend cooking times, my slow cooker is a cast iron casserole dish in the oven.
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Mmmm Sandra that does look good. Come on winter.
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Thanks, winter has arrived in Melbourne!
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