Quick and Easy Beer-Broth Hamburger Stew Cooked in a Cast Iron Dutch Oven

This is very (VERY) similar to the Hamburger Soup recipe on Beer and Iron. And, if you’re askin’ me…which you haven’t yet but I am sure you will…the “stew” version is my favorite between the two. I like a spoon full of “stuff” rather than a spoon full of broth. But, now that you mentioned it (and I know you will), there’s beer in that broth. Hummm…decisions! Decisions! Decisions! The one decision you ain’t gotta make is whether or not you are going to make this stew.

Note: If your ground beef is 85/15 (15% fat), my suggestion is to cook the beef first and let it drain a bit. We drain the beef and catch the drippings. Add those drippings to a Mason / Kerr jar (or other container) and refrigerate. The fat will rise to the top and solidify. You can use that fat to cook with later and the broth to add to a future stew or soup.

If you are using lean ground beef, just rock on! That little bit of fat will add to the flavor of the stew.

This hamburger stew recipe is not “thickened” like my tri-tip beef stew.

You’ll need your inside 5-quart cast iron Dutch oven if you’ll be cooking this recipe on the stove-top. This recipe could be cooked outside in your 10-inch cast iron camp Dutch oven as well.

Get a beer out for this recipe and one for yourself as you prep this amazing meal for the folks you love!

Quick and Easy Beer-Broth Hamburger Stew

This is very (VERY) similar to the Hamburger Soup recipe on Beer and Iron. And, if you’re askin’ me...which you haven’t yet but I am sure you will...the “stew” version is my favorite between the two. I like a spoon full of “stuff” rather than a spoon full of broth. But, now that you mentioned it (and I know you will), there’s beer in that broth. Hummm...decisions! Decisions! Decisions! The one decision you ain’t gotta make is whether or not you are going to make this stew.

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Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr

Servings: 6 People

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Calories: 342

Ingredients Equipment Method Video Notes

Ingredients

  

• 3 Bacon Strips about 3-4 inches long
• 1 Onion Finely chopped medium onion
• 12 Ounces Beer A non-sweet porter will do the trick
• 1 Cup Beef Broth We may not need that much; just to top it all off with
• 1 Teaspoon Salt To taste
• 1 Teaspoon Pepper To taste
• 1 Teaspoon Italian Seasoning To taste
• 8 Ounces Mushrooms Container of pre-cut mushrooms
• 2 Carrots 2-4 Carrots peeled, quartered, and sliced (not all carrots are created equally in size)
• 2 Stalks of Celery 2-4 Stalks of celery again, not all stalks of celery created equally in size
• 1 Pound Ground beef Lean ground beef; we’re not going to drain this and your bacon will add the fat (see notes)
• 2 Garlic 2-4 Cloves minced
• 2 Tomatoes Cans of Fire Roasted Tomatoes or 2-3 Large Garden Tomatoes
• 2 Cups Red Potatoes 6-10 Small Red Potatoes Halved or Quartered or cut up a large russet potato into ½ inch cubes
• ½ Cup Corn Frozen Corn or Cut from the cob of one or two garden-grown corn
• ½ Cup Green Beans ½ - 1 Cup of Frozen Cut Green Beans or Garden Green Beans
• 1 Cup Bell Pepper Any color (the red ones really "bring it home")
• ½ Cup Parsley A small batch of chopped fresh parsley to “bring it home" too.

Equipment

• 5 quart cast iron Dutch oven (Inside Cooking)
• 10 inch cast iron camp Dutch oven (Outside Cooking)
• Spatula (Metal or Wooden)
• Serving Spoon
• Knife and Cutting Board

Method

 

1. Place your bacon in the bottom of the cast iron pot and cook until the bacon has rendered its fat
2. Add the onions and the garlic into the pot and sauté in the bacon grease
3. Add the ground beef and start cooking
4. Add the Italian seasoning, the pepper and all or just a bit of the salt once the ground beef has started cooking and you have everything spread about in the pot
5. Cook until the ground beef is mostly cooked through
6. Add the Bell Pepper, Carrots, Celery, Tomatoes, Potatoes
7. Mix everything all about and smooth the top of the mixture down
8. Pour in FIRST the room-temperature beer
9. Second, pour in the beef broth just to the level of the smoothed mixture. The vegetables will “render” juices to the soup and we don’t want it getting too “soupy.”
10. Cover and let this cook for about 5 minutes.
11. After 5 minutes, lift the lid at an angle over the pot to let the condensation on the underside of the lid fall into the pot. Check the broth for saltiness.
12. If it needs more salt, now is the time to add some salt. You can check again in another 5 minutes until you get it just right. This is that “per taste” part.
13. Watch for the potatoes “doneness.” Once they start to soften up, add the Corn, Green Beans, and mushrooms. NOTE: Vegetables from the garden that have not been previously frozen may take longer to cook. If using garden-fresh vegetables, add them in step 6 with the other vegetables. Either way, add the mushrooms here.
14. It’s done when the green beans AND carrots AND the potatoes are cooked. The cook-time will depend on how thick you cut these vegetables. TIP: Check the corn too and make sure it’s done. Don’t worry about the beef; it’s long-since been done.

Video

Notes

Note: If your ground beef is 85/15 (15% fat), my suggestion is to cook the beef first and let it drain a bit. We drain the beef and catch the drippings. Add those drippings to a Mason / Kerr jar (or other container) and refrigerate. The fat will rise to the top and solidify. You can use that fat to cook with later and the broth to add to a future stew or soup.

If you are using lean ground beef, just rock on! That little bit of fat will add to the flavor of the stew.

Serves 3-6 Folks depending on the appetites those folks bring to the table

Peanut butter, fish sauce, and chicken. This recipe is gonna be interesting! Most importantly it’s going to be delicious. There’s a bit of preplanning and prep but the cook time is “in a jiffy.” You’re gonna love this Cast Iron Griddle-Cooked Satay Chicken with a Peanut and Beer Sauce Recipe.

“Satay” (sa·tay /ˈsäˌtā/). I just like saying “Satay.” This dish originated from Southeast Asia. A “satay” is basically a dish consisting of small pieces of meat grilled on a skewer and served with a spiced sauce that typically contains peanuts. That’s this recipe in a nutshell (no pun intended…though peanuts are not actually nuts…but…).

For most of the recipes by Sulae on Beer and Iron, you could substitute the beer for water or broth. I would suggest…only if you don’t want the beer in your recipe…to use coconut water or coconut milk. That would really “bring it home for sure!” Me? I prefer a good IPA or Belgian when creating this recipe.

This recipe has a couple different ways it can be cooked. You can cook it in the oven on a griddle or you can cook it open-fire on the grill. It’s fairly easy to both cook and prepare though you’ll need to prepare this recipe the day before (or definitely the morning of) the day you plan to cook it. Both the prep time and the cook time are fairly brief, it still has to be prepared / cooked in a two-session manner.

Prep this recipe before heading out to go camping, picnicking, or even tailgating and it’ll be ready for cooking when you get there. It’s totally an indoor or outdoor recipe. 

Sulae @ beerandiron.com

Cast Iron Griddle-Cooked Satay Chicken with a Peanut and Beer Sauce Recipe

Peanut butter, fish sauce, and chicken. This recipe is gonna be interesting! Most importantly it’s going to be delicious.

You could substitute the beer for water or broth. I would suggest...only if you don’t want the beer in your recipe...to use coconut water or coconut milk. That would really “bring it home for sure!” Me? I prefer a good IPA or Belgian when creating this recipe.

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Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Servings: 6 People

Course: Appetizer, Main Course

Cuisine: Asian, Chinese, Southeast Asia

Calories: 372

Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients

  

• 2 Pounds Chicken Breast mallet-tenderized or thighs (no need to tenderize) sliced into 1 1/2" wide strips by 3-5" long
• 3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• 1/4-1/2 Cup Beer or substitute with coconut milk or coconut water
• 1/3-1/2 Cup Smooth Peanut Butter
• 8-12 Skewers

Marinade/Sauce Ingredients:

• 1/4 Cup Soy Sauce
• 1/4 Cup Brown Sugar Packed Brown Sugar
• 1 Tablespoon Chili Paste
• 1 1/2 Tablespoon Lime Juice
• 1 1/2 Tablespoon Fish Sauce
• 1 Teaspoon Dried Basil
• 1 Teaspoon Coriander Powder
• 1/2 Teaspoon Ground Ginger
• 1/2 Teaspoon Garlic Powder
• 1/2 Teaspoon Turmeric Powder

Equipment

• Large, Rectangle Cast Iron Griddle
• Meat Mallet or Tenderizing Mallet
• Cutting Board
• Knife
• 8-12 Skewers (we use the wooden ones)
• Wisk (a fork will do A-OK)
• Medium bowl large enough to hold that 2 pounds of chicken.
• Separate jar or storage container to store the 1/3 cup of this Marinade/Sauce.

Method

 

Preparation: 6 hours to 24 hours Before Cooking Time

1. Whisk together the Marinade/Sauce ingredients in a medium bowl large enough to hold that 2 pounds of chicken. Don't add the chicken yet.
2. Remove 1/3 cup of this Marinade/Sauce and add to a separate jar or storage container. We’ll use this later. Refrigerate this remaining marinade/sauce; this will become the base of your Peanut Sauce when we are ready to cook. And, you do not want this to mix with your raw chicken.
3. The remaining Marinade/Sauce left in the medium bowl is where we’ll focus on now. Add 3 tablespoons of olive oil to this Marinade/Sauce.
4. Add chicken to the Marinade/Sauce that you just mixed the oil in and toss to evenly coat. The chicken is not on the skewers yet so this all will fit in a covered bowl. Marinate in the refrigerator 6 hours to 24 hours.

Ready to Cook!

1. When ready to cook, soak wooden skewers in water for at least 30 minutes. I wonder what beer-soaked skewers would work like? Hummm...
2. Meanwhile, remove chicken in the medium bowl AND from the refrigerator and allow time for the chicken to reach room temperature.
3. Thread the (sliced 1 1/2" wide strips by 3-5" long) chicken onto skewers and lightly dab excess marinade off with paper towels.
4. Preheat the oven with the griddle inside to heat as well. Bring the oven up to 350°F / 177°C.
5. Bake 15-20 minutes OR until chicken is cooked through being careful not to overcook or chicken will not be as tender (internal temp of 165°F / 74°C).
6. While the chicken is cooking in the oven (you only have about 15 minutes before it’s done), Add the 1/3 cup of this Marinade/Sauce that you set aside when you prepared this recipe to a smaller saucepan and add ¼ - ½ cup of beer (depending on how thick you want the dipping sauce...yes!...we’re making a dipping sauce).
7. Bring the dipping sauce (still thin and watery) in the smaller sauce pan to a slight boil and then simmer for 1 minute.
8. Remove from heat then stir in 1/3 cup peanut butter until completely combined then add additional peanut butter if desired for a thicker/more nutty sauce or more beer 1 tablespoon at a time for a thinner sauce.
9. Taste and add additional chili sauce (if desired) for a spicier sauce...you want "sauce" or do you want "SAUCY!!"
10. Once the chicken has an internal temp of 165°F / 74°C, remove the chicken from the oven and serve hot with the Peanut Butter Sauce,

Notes

At "Ready to Cook!" step 4, you could heat the grill and get these ready to cook outside. If you grill these, you will definitely not want to skip "Ready to Cook!" step 1 where you soaked the skewers. Cook on the grill for about 5-7 minutes on one side then 5-7 minutes on the other side. Once the chicken reaches an internal temp of 165°F / 74°C, pull them from the grill and ENJOY!!

You could use your cast iron griddle on the grill when you cook this satay chicken skewers. It’s totally up to you.

Serve the satay chicken warm with the warm beer and peanut sauce as an appetizer or or with some rice/veggies for a main dinner or lunch.

There’s two things that at 50-years-young that I have to keep in balance: My appetite for cast-iron-cooked, beer-infused, delicious foods and…my midriff. And trust me, the balance is very hard to maintain. I want to eat and drink like I weigh 400 pounds, but I also want to look like a Ken Doll (without the omissions that come with a child’s plastic toy [tongue-in-cheek]).

I will likely never describe one of these recipes as being “Paleo,” “Low-Carb,” “Gluten-Free,” or created to fit into any “diet” box. There’s definitely no opposition to any diet that anyone finds beneficial for health. My moto is pretty simple: Lower Carbs than my Fats, Fibers, and Protein. It’s what works for me. With all that being said, this chicken, kale, and coconut recipe screams “low carb!” And with all the cast iron recipes that include pasta, rice, flour, and sugar, having this recipe in your cast iron recipe book is a big plus!

Beer-Brined Coconut Kale Chicken

There’s two things that at 50-years-young that I have to keep in balance: My appetite for cast-iron-cooked, beer-infused, delicious foods and...my midriff. And trust me, the balance is very hard to maintain. I want to eat and drink like I weigh 400 pounds, but I also want to look like a Ken Doll (without the omissions that come with a child’s plastic toy [tongue-in-cheek]).

I will likely never describe one of these recipes as being “Paleo,” “Low-Carb,” “Gluten-Free,” or created to fit into any “diet” box. There’s definitely no opposition to any diet that anyone finds beneficial for health. My moto is pretty simple: Lower Carbs than my Fats, Fibers, and Protein. It’s what works for me. With all that being said, this chicken, kale, and coconut recipe screams “low carb!” And with all the cast iron recipes that include pasta, rice, flour, and sugar, having this recipe in your cast iron recipe book is a big plus!

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Prep Time 45 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Servings: 6 People

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Asian

Calories: 271

Ingredients Equipment Method Video Notes

Ingredients

  

• 12 Ounces Beer For the Brine: See Recipe
• 6 Each Chicken Breast Boneless / Skinless (not the thin cut). Could Substitute Thighs
• 2 Tablespoons Butter Or Oil / Bbacon Grease to cover the bottom of the size pan you’ll be using
• ¼ to ½ tsp Thyme per chicken breast side Per Taste
• ¼ to ½ tsp Dry Rosemary per chicken breast side Per Taste
• ¼ to ½ tsp Smoked Paprika per chicken breast side Per Taste
• ¼ to ½ tsp Pepper per chicken breast side Per Taste
• 5 Cups Kale You may need more or you may need less.
• 1 Each Medium Onion Chopped fine or course
• 3-6 Cloves Garlic
• 3 Cups Fire-Roasted Diced Tomatoes 2 Cans. Drained. Or, you could chop up a couple or three garden tomatoes.
• 1 ½ Cups Coconut Milk Or One Can. Full-Fat or Reduced-Fat, it's up to you.
• 1 Tablespoon Red Curry Paste “Heavy” Tablespoon of Red Curry Paste; I use a mild paste
• ½ Cup Cheese More or less it’s up to you and your dedication to your current diet.
• 1-2 Teaspoons Parsley flakes or Fresh Parsley per Chicken Breast Or even a bit of Italian seasoning.

Equipment

• 12-inch skillet if making 4 chicken breasts
• 15-inch skillet if making 6 chicken breasts (how we will be preparing this recipe)
• 17-inch skillet if feeding an army (6 or more chicken breasts)
• Salad Leaf Spinner to dry off your washed Kale Leaves
• Wood or Metal Spatula for turning the mixture in the pan
• Can Opener if using canned ingredients
• Cutting Board
• Knife
• Meat Tenderizing Hammer

Method

 

1. Create your beer brine per your preference (see recipe)
2. Brine the chicken either before tenderizing or after tenderizing; the option is yours
3. Let the chicken brine for 2 or more hours. Remember, these are not large cuts of meat. Take note of your particular brining time and adjust future brine times according to your personal preference.
4. Remove the chicken from the brine and tenderize with a meat mallet. More is not better; tenderize but maintain the chicken breast shape. Don’t tenderize to the point of making ground chicken.
5. Place the chicken breast on a tray or large cutting board in a single layer in preparation of adding the spices.*
6. The spices you will need are: Rosemary, Thyme, Smoked Paprika and Pepper. Depending on how many chicken breasts you are using, consider applying these spices at about ¼ to ½ teaspoon per chicken breast. Measuring is not critical; just sprinkle the spices one-at-a-time over the upside of the chicken breast.
7. ¼ to ½ tsp Thyme per chicken breast side (per taste)
8. ¼ to ½ tsp Dry Oregano per chicken breast side (per taste)
9. ¼ to ½ tsp Smoked Paprika per chicken breast side (per taste)
10. ¼ to ½ tsp Pepper per chicken breast side (per taste)
11. 2-6 Bunches of Kale. Not all kale bunches are created equal. And, measuring cups of kale is like trying to measure cups of cotton balls. You WILL need more kale than you think will fit in your pan. Kale wilts down so flat and you’ll want a nice bed of kale in the bottom of that pan. Wash some kale up and if you have extra, all the better for a salad or for another recipe.
12. Set a colander over a bowl to place the tomatoes to drain (canned or fresh)
13. Open the two cans of fire-roasted tomatoes and, using a rubber spatula, move them about to get the excess liquid off and into the bowl below. Don’t “over spatula” them to the point you make tomato sauce in the bowl below. You just want to get the bulk of the liquid off. TIP: Save that rubber spatula; you can use it to get the extra coconut milk out of the can later in step 23.
14. Save the tomato liquid for another recipe (goes well in a hamburger soup recipe). We will not use the tomato liquid in this recipe; we will only use the tomatoes we strained out.
15. Preheat your skillet over medium-high heat.
16. While the skillet is preheating, preheat the oven to 350°F / 175°C
17. Add the butter, oil or bacon grease to the heating skillet. How much depends on how big your skillet is. You want enough to cover the bottom of the skillet and enough to “lubricate” the pan during the sautéing process. You can add a mixture of different fats to enhance the flavor. All up to you!**
18. Start with browning the chicken. We’re not actually cooking it here in this step. Just searing the chicken. Place the chicken spiced-side up to start.
19. Once the chicken is “browned,” turn the chicken over to the unseasoned side and sear the spiced side.
20. This is optional: season by sprinkling a bit of spices on the unseasoned side of the chicken while the other side is searing.
21. Once all of your chicken breast are seared, place them aside but keep them on the stove top to keep them warm.
22. DON’T CLEAN THE PAN. Add a bit more grease as needed and let it heat up.
23. Add your onions and garlic. I add them at the same time. Sauté the onions and garlic until the onions are a bit translucent.
24. Once your onions and garlic are ready, pour in the can of coconut milk.
25. Add the tablespoon (heaping) of red curry paste.
26. Mix these all about then add your tomatoes and mix again.
27. Now it’s time to add the Kale.
28. Once the kale begins to wilt and has reduced in size, smooth or flatten the mixture down level. This is both to create a bed for the chicken to lay upon AND to keep any of the pieces of kale to dry out during the baking process and become chewy.
29. Turn the skillet heat down to low to keep it cooking but not burn while you finish setting this up.
30. Add your chicken to the bed of kale. Puzzle them in so none are overlapping (too much). However, overlapping is A-OK.
31. If you are using a temperature probe, now is the best time to set that up. I LOVE (like passionate love) my wired / wireless probe. It takes the guessing game out of the cooking process. Get one...it’ll change your life. Here’s what I use: https://amzn.to/31m9trx (affiliate link).
32. Once your chicken has reached 165°F / 74°C. Pull it from the oven and set it on the stove top.
33. Set your oven to BROIL.
34. Sprinkle a bit of cheese on top of the chicken and kale. How much cheese? Well, that depends on the dedication to your current diet. I just put enough for flavor. Is it possible to add too much cheese? Well, my thinking is this: “too much cheese” is like “too much money.” Moving on…
35. Sprinkle a bit of fresh or dried parsley on top of the cheese to “bring it home!”
36. Replace the pan into the oven (now on the Broil Setting).
37. Watch it close. Once the cheese is browned like the toasted cheese of a pizza, pull the pan from the oven. Turn the oven off.
38. Now shout, “TA DA!”

Video

Notes

*Seasoning Tip: When seasoning your raw chicken, place it on a tray or cutting board. Next, place the tray of chicken in my [cleaned] kitchen sink. This way, when you are “sprinkling'' the spices, I can get an even coat on the chicken breast and the “over-shake” off to the sides of the tray make it to the sink and not all over the counter or the floor.

**Adding fat to the skillet: If your coconut milk is the full-fat variety AND you have solidified coconut oil in the can (usually coagulated at the top of the can), you can use the coconut oil for your sautéing. BUT, be warned that most of the coconut milk cans and containers do not have this. If it’s white and creamy looking DON’T USE THAT TO SAUTE. It’s just coconut cream fat and not coconut oil.

***Adding the Kale: Do this in bunches. Start with a single layer and mix them into the liquid. The kale will begin to wilt pretty quickly. Once you feel you have enough room, add another layer and keep wilting the kale. Don’t over cook at this point but don’t under cook either. The cook time in the oven will be rather short. So, cook to the consistency you prefer. The kale may turn from being a pale green (depending on the variety of kale you are using) to a dark, rich green.