Beef with Pickled Walnuts
Submitted by tania
Traditional British beef and kidney stew with pickled walnuts, carrots, and onions braised low and slow until the gravy turns thick and rich. A proper pub-style comfort dish for 4 to 6.
YIELD
4 servingsPREP
60 minCOOK
3 hrsREADY
4 hrsThis is old-school British cooking at its absolute finest. Chunks of stewing beef and ox kidney, browned in beef drippings and braised for three hours with onions, carrots, and bay leaves until the gravy practically makes itself.
The real star here is the pickled walnuts. They go in near the end, adding a tangy, earthy bite that cuts through the richness of the stew in a way nothing else quite can.
It’s the sort of dish that belongs in a proper country pub with a roaring fire and a pint of bitter alongside.
Chef Tips
- Brown the meat in small batches in a sizzling-hot pan. Crowding leads to steaming, and steaming leads to disappointment.
- Use the stock to deglaze the frying pan after browning. All those stuck-on, caramelized bits are pure flavour.
- Pickled walnuts are available at British specialty shops or online. There truly is no substitute for their unique tangy, spiced character.
- The stew improves dramatically if made a day ahead. The flavours deepen and meld overnight in the fridge.
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare the meats in the usual way, removing all traces of fat, gristle and membrane, and cut into large chunks.
Cut the onions into one-eighths.
Scrub or scrape the carrots and cut them into ½ to ¾ inch lengths.
Toss with the meats, onions and carrots in the flour (which should be well-seasoned) and brown and seal, in batches, in sizzling hot frying pan barely filmed with dripping or well-flavoured oil.
Transfer to a flameproof casserole.
Wash out the frying pan with some of the stock and add it to the casserole.
Add the rest of the stock, 2 tablespoons juice from the jar of pickled walnuts and the bay leaves.
Season with salt and pepper and bring to simmering point.
Cover and cook at 300℉ (150℃) for about 3 hours until the meats are very tender and the gravy is deliciously rich.
Add the quartered or sliced walnuts to the beef.
Check the stew for seasoning and cook for about 15 minutes more before serving.
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