A collaboration with Metro Ontario to bring Irish Beef Stew with Guinness! This is probably the best culinary way you can celebrate Saint Patrick’s Day this year (March 17th). It is a one pot dish of slow cooked beef veggies and of course a whole tall can of Guinness. The flavours meld into an incredible pot of thick stew after 3 hours in the oven and it was delicious served over some creamy mashed potatoes. This is such a comforting dish and with every bite you can just taste the love that goes into it. If you are looking for a dish that will warm the sole on this celebratory day or any other cold winter day for that matter, look no further.
Irish Beef Stew with Guinness
Ingredients
- 3 pounds beef chuck cut into large cubes
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 4 slices thick cut bacon diced,
- 3 carrots peeled and washed
- 3 large celery stalks
- 2 medium sized onions
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 3 tablespoons all purpose flour
- 1 tall can of Guinness
- 2 cups beef broth
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar optional
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 sprig rosemary
- 4 sprigs thyme
- 2 tablespoons chopped parsley for garnish
- Mashed Potato to serve (optional)
Instructions
- Finely dice 1 carrot, 1 large celery stick, and 1 onion and set aside.
- Largely chop 1 onion, 2 carrots and 2 celery stalks. These pieces will not cook down and should be sized according to how you want them to look in your final stew.
- Season your beef cubes well with salt, pepper, garlic powder and onion powder and toss until well coated.
- In a dutch oven, on medium heat add your diced bacon and cook on medium, stirring periodically until the fat is rendered and bacon is nice, crisp and brown.
- Remove your bacon from the pot but keep the bacon fat in the pot.
- Add your cubed beef in the pot in batches and seared on all sides until it is nicely browned.
- Remove the first batch of beef and place on a plate and add the second batch and brown. Cooking in batches allows the beef to brown and does not overcrowd the pan.
- Set your seared beef aside and in the same pan with the bacon fat and and now beef residue, add your finely diced veggies. Saute stirring frequently with a wooden spoon will start to deglaze the pan as well. Season with salt to taste.
- After about 5-7 minutes of stirring your veggies should be wilted and browned. Add your minced garlic and stir for about 1-2 minutes.
- Add your tomato paste and sautee stirring for about a minute.
- Add your flour and mix until combined, yes it will be very thick but mix for about 1-2 minutes to toast the flour.
- Add your seared beef back in the pot.
- Pour in your whole tall guinness can and follow 2 cups of beef stock.
- This is optional but add 1 tablespoon of brown sugar to balance out the bitterness of the beer.
- Add your rosemary sprig, thyme sprigs, and bay leaves.
- If you do not want your onions visible in the final end product, add your largely cut onions at this stage, otherwise, wait and add them when the other large cut veggies are added.
- Bring to boil then cover your Dutch oven with a lid and place in your oven and cook at 325 degrees for 2 hours.
- After two hours remove the pot from the oven and mix in your large cut carrots and celery. Taste and add a pinch of salt if necessary. Remember this will continue to reduce so it should not be salty at this stage. You can add salt later but you can’t take it away.
- Place the pot back in the oven, uncovered for an additional hour.
- After an hour, your stew should be pretty much ready. You can reduce the stew further on the stove if you would like to thicken it up. To reduce on the stove, just place on low heat and let it simmer for up to 30 minutes, stirring periodically so it does not burn.
- Mix in your bacon bits, taste, adjust seasoning one last time if necessary and enjoy!
- Garnish with chopped parsley and serve with a plate of creamy mashed potatoes.