Beef and Stout Stew Over Mashed Potatoes

This dish is classic British pub fare at its best. I always have a secret chuckle with myself when I prepare a hearty meat and potato dish like this because I grew up in a family that hardly ever had meat and potato dinners. Nope. My family was more of a tofu and zucchini stir-fry family. Though my mom did occasionally whip up an incredible Boeuf Bourguignon (which is this dish's elegant French cousin, similar in many ways but using red wine instead of beer). But there's something incredibly comforting about a plate of this stew served on top of a velvety heap of mashed potatoes. I can think of nothing I'd rather eat on a cold winter day. The stout loses its strong "beer taste" and melds into a richly flavorful sauce, deeply satisfying and irresistible.

You may have noticed there aren't too many meat recipes on this blog. It's not because I'm vegetarian, in fact, I love meat! But I'm extremely choosy about what kind of meat I eat, where it comes from, how it was raised, and what impact it's had on the environment. So I only eat meat if I can find exactly the kind I'm looking for, which invariably means I end up eating it only occasionally. Which is fine by me, especially when I think of Michael Pollan's famous advice to "Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants."

Basically, what works for me is eating a diversified, balanced diet, including meat. However, I do believe that reducing one's meat consumption and being more selective about where it comes from is crucial. It's important to realize that not all meat is created equal. Choosing meat that is raised outside on small farms without the use of hormones or antibiotics and raised on pasture and non-GMO feed, is healthier, has a smaller environmental footprint, and supports your local economy.

When it comes to beef, I only eat beef that is 100% grass-fed. Cows are natural herbivores and they are not meant to consume grains. Aside from respecting what a cow's body was meant to eat, there are two major advantages to eating grass-fed beef. The first is that many studies show grass-fed beef is healthier for us. It's higher in Omega 3, CLA, vitamins and antioxidants compared to grain-fed beef. The other reason is that conventional grain-fed meat produced in concentrated feedlots has a devastating impact on the environment, from contributing to climate change, to water and air pollution. Although it's contested by some, grass-fed beef has been found to have a low carbon footprint when you factor into the equation the carbon sequestration that occurs as a result of well-managed pastures. This wonderful video from Lexicon of Sustainability explains it well:

So if you can, do find a farmer near you who grows delicious grass-fed beef. And then make this recipe. I promise you'll enjoy it!

Aube is a passionate organic gardener and home cook who likes to share the stories of how food gets to our dinner plates. Her work has been shown on television and at international film festivals. Her web series was nominated for a 2014 James Beard Award. In 2012, she was the recipient of Saveur Magazine's Best Food Blog award in the video category.