Help! Beer used in pie filling too bitter.....

mothsinmywallet_2

My husband has just made the most amazing steak and mushroom pie filling but the beer he used has left it with a bit of a nasty after taste. We now realise if he'd used the lighter ale it would be ok but what can we do to salvage tonight's supper? Have tried a tablespoon of tom puree, a teaspoon of sugar and a load of marjoram but it's still not quite right! I bow to your superior knowledge......

Tabatha_Kitten

How long did you cook it ?
I personally think this is one of those recipes that tastes best for long slow cooking.
I always use the whole bottle of a well known brand of brown ale from the North East.
I brown the meat & onions, add the ale and leave it overnight in the fridge.
I then cook it the next day for around 5-6 hours on Gas 4, adding the mushrooms for about the last hour.
Served with puff pastry & carrots. Hubby's favourite meal !!

beaujolais-nouveau

mothsinmywallet wrote: »

My husband has just made the most amazing steak and mushroom pie filling but the beer he used has left it with a bit of a nasty after taste. We now realise if he'd used the lighter ale it would be ok but what can we do to salvage tonight's supper? Have tried a tablespoon of tom puree, a teaspoon of sugar and a load of marjoram but it's still not quite right! I bow to your superior knowledge......

Some beer just has to be cooked for longer.** I would put the meat pie filling back in the saucepan with enough water to stop it drying out and cook it for another half hour.

** One of my favourite recipes is a carbonade de boef made with Guinness. I found out, though, that if cooked in a pressure cooker the meat was cooked through OK but the Guinness tasted bitter; only by casseroling the carbonade for two hours in the conventional way did the Guinness come out tasting nice.

weezl74

a tablespoon of honey?

Butterfly_Brain

Balsamic vinegar

thriftlady_2

According to Glynn Christian's book How to Cook Without Recipes the way to balance a bitter taste is with an acid taste and not a sweet one. Based on that (and not personal experience) I should think Butterfly Brain's suggestion of vinegar is the way to go;)

HappyIdiotTalk

thriftlady wrote: »

According to Glynn Christian's book How to Cook Without Recipes...

Sorry this is OT, but I think I've just found a candidate for the book vouchers I got for Christmas. I find it hard work following recipes so this may be just the book for me. :j

tessie_bear

beef in guiness is nice but only if cooked for a long time....id try balsamic vinegar not the stuff u put on your chips

thriftlady_2

HappyIdiotTalk wrote: »

Sorry this is OT, but I think I've just found a candidate for the book vouchers I got for Christmas. I find it hard work following recipes so this may be just the book for me. :j

I think there are pages you can look at on Amazon. I'm not that impressed overall although it is an interesting book.

HappyIdiotTalk

thriftlady wrote: »

I think there are pages you can look at on Amazon. I'm not that impressed overall although it is an interesting book.

I'm sorry to hear that, I've just read the first part on Amazon as you suggested and it really hit the spot with me. I will definitely be buying it.