Irish Pub Style Guiness Beef Stew
With the temperatures dipping into the 20s in both Colonial Beach and Albuquerque, my sweetheart Carolyn Flynn and I decided not to do a charcuterie board tonight and decided to go a heart warming soup/stew route.
My darling went with a Kale, Butternut Squash and White Bean Soup (photo included below) and I decided on an Irish pub-style Guinness Beef Stew. I had never made this before, but we enjoyed this meal last summer while on vacation in Ireland…in a quaint Irish pub, of course.
This recipe is a bit of a hybrid between My Wild Atlantic Kitchen and The Daring Gourmet.
Irish pub-style Guinness Beef Stew
• 6 slices bacon ,diced
• 2 pounds beef chuck
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour (with pepper, salt if you like,)
• 2 medium-large yellow onions ,chopped
• 4 cloves garlic ,minced
• 3 medium firm red potatoes, cut into bit-sized chunks
• 2 large carrots ,chopped in 1/2 inch pieces
• 2 ribs celery ,chopped in 1/2 inch pieces
• 1 bottle (1 pint or 16 ounces) Guinness Extra Stout
• 1 cup strong beef broth
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 cup tomato paste
• 2 teaspoon fresh thyme
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 bay leaves
• Salt and pepper to taste
Directions
1. Cut the beef across the grain into into 1-inch pieces. Sprinkle with some salt, pepper and the flour and toss to coat the pieces. Set aside.
2. Fry the bacon in a Dutch oven or heavy pot until done then remove it with a slotted spoon, leaving the bacon drippings in the pan. I did everything in my 16″ cast iron skillet.
3. Working in batches and being careful not to overcrowd the pieces, generously brown the beef on all sides. Transfer the beef to a plate and repeat until all the beef is browned.
4. Add the onions and fry them, adding more oil if necessary, until lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Add the vegetables and cook for another 5 minutes. Add Worcestershire and tomato paste Add the Guinness and bring it to a rapid boil, deglazing the bottom of the pot (scraping up the browned bits on the bottom). Boil for 2 minutes.
5. Put in the beef, turn down to simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally for at least 2 hours. Three would be better.
I went out to Trivia Night during the cook time, so I added some beef stock and put it into the oven at 200°.
The resulting stew was a perfect, hearty match to the one we had in Ireland. I joined my girl for a remote mid-week Zoom dinner date and we both thoroughly enjoyed our evening together.
