Guinness Beef Stew
Happy St. Patrick's Day...tomorrow! To celebrate this occasion, I thought this hearty stew would fit the bill just nicely, since Ireland's very own stout beer plays a starring role!
To make this stew, you will need: Approx. 2 lbs. of stew beef (in my case, I used moose meat...I'm pretty sure there is not an overabundance of moose roaming the island of Ireland, but that's what I had on hand and I think it added a Canadian flare to this Irish dish!), beef broth, 1 bottle or can of Guinness stout beer, tomato paste, all purpose flour, dried thyme, salt and pepper, an onion, 1 clove of garlic, mini potatoes, carrots, and green beans.
In a stew pot, over medium heat, add 1 tbsp of vegetable oil and 1 tbsp. of butter or bacon grease...I always have a cup of bacon grease in my fridge...not good for the ole arteries but hey, I could also get smoked by a bus tomorrow too!
In a small bowl, add about 1 cup of all purpose flour and salt and pepper to taste...
Dip each piece of stew meat into the flour, turning to coat each side.
Place each piece of flour dredged meat into the preheated pot...do not overcrowd the pan.
Cook the meat in several batches making sure to brown the beef (or moose) on all sides.
While the meat is browning, chop the vegetables for your stew...peel and chop 3-4 carrots, cut about 20 mini potatoes in half, peel and coarsely chop 1 onion and 1 clove of garlic and slice green beans into bite size pieces (you should have about 1 cup of sliced beans).
Once the stew meat is all browned, remove from the pot and set aside.
Next, add the onions and garlic to the stew pot...
...and cook until tender (about 5-7 minutes).
Add 3 tbsps. of tomato paste to the onions and garlic...
...then pour in about a 1/4 cup of Guinness beer.
Use a wooden spoon to scrape up the brown bits from the bottom of the pan,
Then add the rest of the Guinness beer...
...and 1 carton of beef broth.
Next, add 1 tsp. of dried thyme, 1/2 tsp. of salt and a 1/2 tsp. of pepper.
Cover the pot with the lid, bring mixture to a gentle boil, then reduce heat to low and let it simmer for about 1-1/2 hours or until the meat is tender.
Once the meat is fork tender, add the carrots (about 2 cups), the potatoes (about 2 cups) and the chopped green beans (about 1 cup).
Let the stew simmer uncovered for another 45 minutes to an hour, until the vegetables are tender and liquid has reduced and your gravy has thickened.
Serve with crusty bread, Biscuits or my Rosemary & Garlic Skillet Rolls and a pint of Guinness...Enjoy!
Guinness Beef Stew
Approx. 2 lbs. of stew meat, cut into chunks
1 tbsp. of vegetable oil and 1 tbsp. of butter or bacon grease
1 cup of all purpose flour
salt and pepper to taste (to add to the dredging flour)
1 bottle or can of Guinness stout beer (440 mls.)
1 carton of beef broth (900 mls.)
3 tbsp's of tomato paste
1 onion, peeled and coarsely chopped
1 clove of garlic, peeled and minced
3-4 carrots, peeled and chopped (about 2 cups)
approx. 20 mini potatoes, unpeeled and cut in half (or about 2 cups of cubed potatoes)
1 cup of sliced green beans (fresh or frozen)
1 tsp. of dried thyme
1/2 tsp. of salt
1/2 tsp.of ground pepper
1. In a stew pot, set over medium heat, add 1 tbsp. of vegetable oil and 1 tbsp. of butter or bacon grease.
2. In a small bowl, add 1 cup of flour, salt and pepper to taste. Dredge the stew meat in the flour, then add to the preheated pot, browning the meat on all sides in small batches.
3. Once the stew meat has all been evenly browned, remove from pot and set aside.
4. Add the chopped onion and garlic to the pan and cook until tender (about 5-7 minutes).
5. Next, add the tomato paste (stir to coat the onions) and a 1/4 cup of the Guinness...Using a wooden spoon, scrape the brown bits up from the bottom, deglazing the pan.
6. Pour in the rest of the Guinness and add the carton of beef broth and your spices.
7. Cover pot, bring to a gentle boil, then reduce heat allowing the meat to simmer for approx. 1-1/2 hours or until tender.
8. Remove lid, add vegetables and simmer (uncovered) for another 45 minutes to an hour until the vegetables are tender and liquid has reduced, thickening the gravy.
* recipe adapted from "Gimme some oven" blog