Oktoberfest Lager Stew. Need We Say More?

So now that it’s officially fall, it won’t be long before you have to put away the grill and start eating something other than steak, chicken, and grilled corn again. Unfortunately, you’ll soon be forced to cook inside, like a person who doesn’t have so much hair on their knuckles. It’s a bummer, we know, but not to worry — even if you’re not as comfortable in the kitchen as you are over an open flame, we’ve got a killer autumn recipe for you that’s practically impossible to screw up. And better yet, it’s got beer in it. Peep game on some Oktoberfest Lager Stew, courtesy of TheCozyApron

Here’s what you’ll need:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 (14 ounce) package beef smoked sausage, cut into bite-size slices
• 1 ½ onion, sliced into thin semi-circles
• ½ head small cabbage, halved again, cored and thinly sliced
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• ¼ teaspoon ground caraway seeds
• A pinch of salt
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 cup German-style lager beer (Oktoberfest variety)
• 2 russet potatoes, peeled and cubed to bite-size pieces
• 2 ½ cups hot chicken stock
• 1 ½ tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon flat-leaf parsley, chopped

Here’s how to cook it:

1. Start by putting a large pot on the burner at medium-high heat, then toss in the olive oil.
2. Once the oil is hot, throw in the slices of smoked sausage and allow them to caramelize and brown
3. Once the sausage is looking good, add the sliced onions and carmelize those badboys too
4. Next, throw in the sliced cabbage and stir it all around. Give it time to soften and take on the flavors of sausage and onion
5. When the cabbage is a nice golden color, stir in the black pepper, caraway seeds, and pinch of salt
6. Follow this up with the chopped garlic. Stir until it smells good
7. Once the garlic becomes aromatic, pour in your lager. Drink anything left in the bottle. Stir and allow it to reduce for about 3 minutes or so
8. Next, add in the cubed potatoes and hot chicken stock. Let everything come to a boil, and then pop a lid on the pot. If your lid has a steam hole in it, you’re set. If not, put the lid on slightly askew so that steam can escape
9. After that, reduce heat to low and let the stew simmer for about 40 minutes
10. To finish it off, stir in the apple cider vinegar and chopped parsley — maybe some additional salt, if necessary.

Serve immediately, with some awesome whole-grain bread on the side, then sit back and watch as your friends and family nearly pass out from sheer deliciousness.

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