Irish Beef And Guinness Stew

For those who know me know that I am not a drinker. However, I absolutely love cooking with Wines, beers, and liquors. It adds a great deal of flavor to recipes. Well, those recipes that would actually benefit from adding these things. lol.

This stew recipe is a traditional “style” Irish beef stew that utilizes the wonderful flavor of a stout beer. It adds such a wonderful depth of flavor. I love beef stew, so adding different flavors and styles to this dish just switches it up and adds a different flavor every single time. It is just wonderful.

INGREDIENTS:

2 lb Beef- Cubed
2 Tbsp. Flour
3 Tbsp. Butter/Oil
2 Onions- Large Chunks
2 Carrots – Cubed in 1-inch pieces
2 Parsnips (or Potatoes)- Cubed in 2 1/2 inch pieces
3 cloves Garlic- Minced
2 Tbsp. Tomato Paste
2 C. Guinness Stout Beer
2 C. Beef Broth
1 Tsp. Thyme
Salt And Pepper – to taste

DIRECTIONS:

1. Cube the beef and place it in a large bowl. Add the flour, salt, and pepper. Toss to coat the beef well in the mixture.
2. Add the butter/oil to a large heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. I like to use a Dutch oven. Brown the beef on both sides in 2 to 3 batches. Remove each batch to a bowl or plate.
3. To the same pot, add more butter/oil if you need to, and add the onions, carrots, and parsnips/potatoes. Cook for about 5 minutes. Stir occasionally to prevent burning.
4. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute.
5. Add the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute.
6. Turn the heat off and add the beer. Turn the heat back on and cook for 5 minutes to cook off the alcohol from the beer. Scrape up any stuck-on bits from the bottom of the pot.
7. Add in the beef broth, thyme, salt, and pepper. Stir and then add in the beef.
8. Bring this to a boil and reduce the heat to a simmer (low) and cover with a lid. Cook for 1 1/2 hours or until the beef is tender. This also depends on how big or small you cube your beef. Smaller cubes of beef will take about 1 1/2 hours, while larger cubes of beef will take about 2 1/2 hours. Keep that in mind. Stir occasionally to prevent burning or sticking.
9. Adjust the seasoning to your liking and remove from the heat.

Serve with mashed potatoes and Irish brown bread, but you can serve it however you like. The recipe for Irish brown bread is on my blog.

• If you want a less stout flavor, add 1 cup of stout and 3 cups of broth. If you want a more stout flavor, then add the full 2 cups of stout as per directions.
• I added the substitutions for potatoes instead of parsnips, as some people do not like parsnips. You can also substitute the parsnips and potatoes for radish. About 3 to 4 cups, depending on how many you want in your stew. You can cut the root end of the radish off and wash it well. Add directly to the stew and cook as per directions. It will be delicious with whichever substitutions you choose.