A simple beef stew that is good over buttered noodles or with plain boiled potatoes. For the beer, use Guinness stout or another dark, bitter beer. Like many stews, this is equally good (or better) when refrigerated and reheated the next day. Other cuts of meat you can use here: though not traditional, this works well with chunks of lamb shoulder or veal shoulder.

　　

Ingredients

4 to 6 servings

　　3 cups thinly sliced onion

　　3 tablespoons lard or neutral oil, like corn or grapeseed

　　2 to 2 1/2 pounds boneless beef chuck, brisket, or round, cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes

　　Salt and black pepper to taste

　　1 tablespoon minced garlic

　　1 bay leaf

　　1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves or 1/2 teaspoon dried

　　1 teaspoon fresh oregano leaves or 1/2 teaspoon dried

　　1 bottle (about 1 1/2 cups) good dark, bitter beer

　　1 tablespoon Dijon mustard, or to taste

　　Chopped fresh parsley leaves for garnish

　　

Step 1

Put the onion in a large flameproof casserole or deep skillet with a lid and cover it; place over medium heat and cook, checking and stirring every few minutes, until the onion is dry and almost sticking to the pan, about 15 minutes. At that point, add 2 tablespoons of the lard and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion becomes a brown, soft mass, another 15 minutes or so. Remove with a slotted spoon and add the remaining lard to the skillet.

　　

Step 2

Raise the heat to medium-high and brown the meat on all sides, sprinkling it with salt and pepper as it browns. When the meat is brown, add the garlic and cook, stirring, for about 30 seconds. Return the onion to the pan, along with the herbs and beer. Bring to a boil, then adjust the heat so the mixture simmers; cover.

　　

Step 3

Cook, checking occasionally to make sure the mixture does not dry out (unlikely, but if it does, add more beer), for about an hour, or until the meat is quite tender. Uncover the pan; the mixture should be stewy but not soupy; if it is, raise the heat and boil out some of the liquid. Stir in the mustard, then taste and adjust the seasoning. Garnish and serve or cool, cover, and refrigerate.

　　The Best Recipes in the World by Mark Bittman. © 2005 by Mark Bittman. Published by Broadway Books. All Rights Reserved.MARK BITTMAN is the author of the blockbuster The Best Recipes in the World (Broadway, 2005) and the classic bestseller How to Cook Everything, which has sold more than one million copies. He is also the coauthor, with Jean-Georges Vongerichten, of Simple to Spectacular and Jean-Georges: Cooking at Home with a Four-Star Chef. Mr. Bittman is a prolific writer, makes frequent appearances on radio and television, and is the host of The Best Recipes in the World, a 13-part series on public television. He lives in New York and Connecticut.