Cooking with Coronation Street: Bet's Guinness Casserole

This recipe comes from the kitchens of the Rovers Return when it was under Bet and Alec Gilroy's rule. It's called a casserole but it seems more like a stewed beef and onions with a gravy but it also looks delicious and the gravy would be yummy spooned over nice, fluffy mash! Alternatively, you could use it as the base for a nice Shepherd's Pie. You might want to go easy on testing that Guinness before you add it to the beef, though, or you'll end up with your wig on crooked like Bet! This is one of Alec's favourites, she tells us and.. "When Alec says me and Bet have made one or two recipes over the years what he actually means is I've made them and he's eaten them. The only time he ever takes any real interest is when I tell him something's got booze in it. He then chews a bit, purses his lips and nods wisely, as though he can tell something of deep significance. It's always the same. But I can tell he enjoys it because he always wants seconds. So, if you're after really getting your own hubby more interested in his food, serve him a boozy dish like this. It's easy to do and he'll love it."

Also included is another Beef in Beer recipe, a variation with a bit more substance. You could use Guinness in that recipe as it just calls for "beer" without specifying type.

Guinness Casserole
(To Serve 2)

2 large onions, chopped
Lard or dripping
1 lb braising steak, cut into 4 pieces
Seasoned flour
1/2 pint Guinness (1 cup)
1 bay leaf
Salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 300F. In a flame-proof casserole, brown the chopped
onions in the lard or dripping. Remove from pan and put to one side.
Coat meat in seasoned flour, add to the casserole with lard or dripping
and brown on both sides. Pour the Guinness into the pan and add the
onions, bay leaf, salt and pepper and bring to the boil. Cover and bake
in the oven for 21/2 - 3 hours or until the steak is tender. Serve with
roast potatoes and a green vegetable.

Beef in Beer
(To Serve 4)

1 oz flour
Salt and pepper
1 1/2 lb stewing steak, cut into bit size chunks
2 oz butter
1 large onion, chopped
1 large carrot, sliced
4 oz mushrooms, washed and sliced
1 tbls sugar
Pinch dry mustard
1/2 pint beer (1 cup)
1/2 pint beef stock (1 cup)

Preheat the oven to 325F. Put the flour, salt and pepper into a bag. Put the chunks of steak into the bag and shake it well to coat the pieces. Then remove the pieces of steak and shake off any excess
flour. In a large flame proof casserole dish, melt the butter over a gentle heat and brown the meat, a few pieces at a time until golden brown on both sides. Then add the chopped onion, sliced carrot and
mushrooms, the sugar and a pinch of dry mustard. Pour in the beer and the beef stock, mix thoroughly and bring to the boil. Once the liquid has reached boiling point, remove from the heat, cover and transfer to the oven and bake for 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Adjust the seasoning and serve with potatoes and vegetables.

More Coronation Street recipes here.