BEEF & GUINNESS STEW

I believe I found this on epicurious.  It was St. Patrick's day and the thought of going to an Irish pub and deal with those crazy crowds was just a little overwhelming.  So I set out to make this.  The ingredient list is managable (pretty much just meat, onions, carrots and a can of tomatoes) but it does take a while to cook.  I served it with buttermilk horseradish mashed potatoes.  I think I will make this a Paddy's day tradition.

INGREDIENTS
2 pounds stewing beef
3 tablespoons oil
2 tablespoons flour
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Pinch of cayenne
2 large onions, coarsely chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
2 tablespoons tomato paste, dissolved in 4 tablespoons water
1 bottle of Guinness
2 cups largely diced carrots
Sprig of fresh thyme
Chopped parsley, for garnish

METHOD
Trim the meat of any fat or gristle, and cut into 2-inch cubes. Toss beef with 1 tablespoon of the oil. In a small bowl, season the flour with salt, pepper, and cayenne. Toss meat with seasoned flour.

Heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a large pot over high heat. Brown the meat on all sides in batches making sure not to over crowd the pot.  Once the meat is all browned, set aside.

Reduce the heat, add the onions, crushed garlic and tomato paste to the pot, cover, and cook gently for 5 minutes.  Pour in half of the Guinness and bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the caramelized meat juices on the pan. Add the meat back to the pot along with the remaining Guinness. Add the carrots and thyme. Stir and adjust seasonings. Cover and simmer over low heat, or in a 300 degree F oven until the meat is tender, 2 to 3 hours.  Garnish the beef with parsley.

Comments

[Crafty]

Thanks for sharing this! This Guinness Stew is one of my old favorites! then the next day you can use the left overs and turn it into the most amazing pie!