Beef-Ale Stew and Green Onion-Buttermilk Dumplings

Are you still looking for a quick St. Patrick's Day dinner? Well, unless you are in Alaska you probably already had dinner. Just in case...we had this ale stew a couple of weeks ago and I think it would make the perfect St. Patrick's Day meal. There is a lot of ale in this stew and a little touch of green in the dumplings. I had never thought of dumplings in beef stew, but they are really good. Who can't use another excuse to have dumplings?

Beef-Ale Stew and Green Onion-Buttermilk Dumplings
from Sunset Magazine
4 pounds beef chuck, trimmed of excess fat and cut into 1 1/2-in. pieces
6 tablespoons plus 2 cups all-purpose flour
3 3/4 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 bottles (12 oz. each) ale
2 large onions, thinly sliced
8 ounces mushrooms, trimmed and quartered
3 large carrots, peeled, halved lengthwise, and cut into 1-in. lengths
1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions (green part only)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
4 1/2 tablespoons cold butter, cut into small pieces
About 3/4 cup buttermilk
1 egg

1. In a large bowl, toss beef with 3 tbsp. flour, 1 tsp. salt, and pepper. In a large pot over medium-high heat, heat 1 tbsp. vegetable oil. Add enough beef to pot to form a single layer (about 1/3 of beef), being careful not to overcrowd pot. Brown meat on all sides, about 7 minutes total per batch. Transfer to a large bowl and brown remaining beef in 2 batches. If meat or pan juices start to scorch, reduce heat.

2. Add 1 bottle ale to pot, scraping up brown bits with a wooden spoon. Pour ale over reserved beef and return empty pot to medium-high heat.

3. Add remaining tbsp. oil to pot. Add onions and 2 tsp. salt. Cook, stirring often, 2 minutes. Cover pot and reduce heat to low. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onions have a hint of gold color, about 20 minutes. Remove lid, raise heat to medium-high, stir in 3 tbsp. flour, and cook, stirring often, 3 minutes. Add mushrooms, reserved beef and ale, remaining bottle of ale, and carrots. Bring to a boil. Cover and lower heat to a gentle simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, until beef is tender, about 3 hours.

4. About 40 minutes before serving, make dumplings: In a medium bowl, stir together remaining 2 cups flour, green onions, remaining 3/4 tsp. salt, and baking soda. Using a pastry blender or your fingers, work cold butter into flour mixture until it resembles cornmeal with some pea-size pieces. In another bowl, whisk together buttermilk and egg. Gently fold wet ingredients into dry, mixing until a very shaggy dough forms. If more liquid is needed, add additional buttermilk 1 tbsp. at a time. Gently form dough into 12 equal balls and drop into stew. Cover pot and cook 20 to 30 minutes, or until dumplings are fluffy and cooked through. Let sit 15 minutes before serving; stew will thicken as it cools.