Beef stew with apples and beer served with polenta

Prepare the ingredients: peel and slice the onions, peel and cut the carrots into rounds, chop the celery, peel the apples and cut them into chunks. Dry the meat and lightly flour it.

In a large saucepan, heat the oil and brown the meat over high heat on all sides until a crust forms. Remove the meat and set aside.

In the same saucepan, add onion, carrots, celery, and garlic and sauté for 5-7 minutes until the vegetables are golden.

Add the tomato paste and stir, then deglaze with half of the beer, allowing the alcohol to evaporate for a couple of minutes.

Return the meat to the saucepan, add the apples, rosemary, and bay leaves. Pour in the broth and the remaining beer until the meat is partially covered. Adjust with salt and pepper.

Bring to a gentle boil, cover, and reduce the heat. Cook on low for about 2.5-3 hours, or until the meat is very tender. Check from time to time and, if necessary, add a bit of broth.

At the end of cooking, remove the meat, discard rosemary and bay leaves, blend part of the sauce with the vegetables to obtain a thicker sauce (optional), and return the meat to the saucepan to season for another 5-10 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare the polenta: bring the water to a boil with a pinch of salt. Gradually add the cornmeal while continuously stirring with a whisk or wooden spoon to avoid lumps.

Cook the polenta for the time indicated on the package (about 35-40 minutes for traditional flour), stirring often. At the end of cooking, stir in butter and parmesan.

Serve the sliced or chunked stew on hot polenta, drizzling with the apple and beer sauce.