One of the most amazing stews you can make for the St. Patrick’s day holiday is Guinness beef stew. It’s easy to make and is rich and flavorful. This hearty meal will be a hit for any home.
Guinness is an amazing beer. It would take a long time to discuss the myths and truths of Ireland’s greatest export. The first Guinness beer was brewed by Arthur Guinness in 1759. With an aroma of coffee & dark chocolate, it creates a mixture of sweet and bitter flavors that few alcoholic beverages can challenge. Guinness is a favorite among bartenders, bakers, and chefs alike, and those that love to drink it.
https://www.guinness.com/en-us
One of the great recipes using this beer is the Guinness beef stew. The natural and rich flavors of Guinness help to create an amazing stew. It is hearty and can stand alone by itself, or it can be served over mashed potatoes with french bread or biscuits on the side. On a cold night, it is hard to beat.
What makes Guinness beef stew so good, is that it is fairly easy to make and doesn’t use a lot of exotic flavors or ingredients. Traditional Irish Stew is made usually with lamb or mutton and sometimes with beef. For this recipe due to the great pairing with Guinness, we are going to use beef.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irish_stew
What puts this recipe over the top is cooking the bacon and leaving the drippings in the pan to cook the beef. This recipe by daringgourmet.com is exactly the recipe I’ve been using for years.
https://www.daringgourmet.com/irish-beef-guinness-stew/
Ingredients:
- 6 ounces bacon, diced
- 2 pounds beef chuck cut into 1-1 1/2 inch. pieces
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 medium-large yellow onions ,chopped
- 3 cloves garlic ,minced
- 4 medium firm. waxy potatoes (e.g., Yukon Gold), cut in 1-inch pieces
- 2 large carrots ,chopped in 1/2 inch pieces
- 2 ribs celery ,chopped in 1/2 inch pieces
- 1 large parsnip ,chopped into 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
- 1 tablespoons dried and ground porcini mushrooms (optional and not remotely traditional, but oh so amazing)
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 bay leaves
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions:
- Cut the beef across the grain into 1-inch pieces. Sprinkle with some salt, pepper and the flour and toss to coat the pieces. Set aside.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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 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. Return the beef and bacon to the pot along with ALL of the remaining ingredients and stir to combine.(**At this point you can transfer everything to a slow cooker if you prefer. Follow the remaining steps and then cook on LOW for 6-8 hours or on HIGH for 3-4 hours.) Bring it to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for 2 hours. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve with some crusty country bread or Irish soda bread. This soup is even better the next day.
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