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Witchs Cauldron Beef Stew

Witchs cauldron beef stew is a dark, hearty American-style braise with stout for deep flavor and tender purple potatoes. Simmer low and slow, then top each bowl with crisp puff pastry bat shapes.
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Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 3 hours
Total Time 3 hours 25 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Cuisine: American
Calories: 520
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Beef chuck
  • 3 lb beef chuck
Seasonings and flour
  • 2 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp black pepper
  • 0.25 cup all-purpose flour
Cooking oil
  • 3 tbsp vegetable oil
Aromatics and tomato
  • 1 red onion chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
Braising liquids and flavor
  • 1 bottle (11.2 oz) stout
  • 3 cup beef broth
  • 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1 tsp dried thyme
Vegetables and beans
  • 1.5 lb purple potatoes cubed
  • 4 carrots sliced into rounds
  • 1 can (15 oz) black beans drained
Puff pastry topping
  • 1 sheet puff pastry cut into bat shapes and baked at 400F until golden

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven
  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Brown the beef
  1. Season the beef with salt and black pepper, then toss it with the all-purpose flour until evenly coated. Heat the vegetable oil in a Dutch oven over high heat and brown the beef in batches, keeping the oil hot and turning pieces until deeply browned.
Build the base
  1. Reduce heat to medium and cook the red onion for 5 minutes until softened. Add the garlic and tomato paste and cook 1 minute, stirring until fragrant.
Simmer the stew
  1. Pour in the stout and scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Stir in the beef broth, balsamic vinegar, smoked paprika, and dried thyme, then add the browned beef back in.
  2. Cover the Dutch oven and simmer for 2 hours until the beef is tender and the stew is thickening.
Cook the vegetables and beans
  1. Add the purple potatoes and carrots, then simmer for 45 minutes until the potatoes are tender. Stir in the black beans and simmer for 10 minutes to warm through.
Serve with bat topping
  1. Ladle the hot stew into bowls, then float a baked puff pastry bat on each serving. Serve immediately while the topping is golden and crisp.

Notes

Pro tip: Brown the beef in batches so it sears instead of steams, which keeps the stew richer. Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 4 days; reheat gently on the stove. Freezing is yes—freeze stew (without the puff pastry) for up to 3 months, then thaw and reheat and add fresh pastry bats. For a lighter option, replace half the beef with extra mushrooms while keeping the stout and broth for body.