Guinness Beef Stew

Guinness beef stew is here for you this St. Patrick’s Day.  Like literally here for you: it could be your support system this weekend if you’ve imbibed a little too much and need hearty comfort food STAT.  Make this a day or two early-it only gets better with time-and you have the perfect make-ahead main dish for all your festivities.Truth be told, I really don’t like Guinness as a beverage.  But in this Irish beef stew, it works perfectly.  It adds a slight bitter note, which offsets the overall richness of the dish (there is bacon, bacon fat and rich beef after all!).  Also, have you ever had Guinness mixed with Framboise Lambic beer?  I have no idea what it’s officially called-a quick Internet search yielded quite a few different names-but it’s the only way I will drink Guinness.  It’s so fruity that you almost forget there’s a dark stout beer in there.   Bacon and tender beef chuck roast make this hearty and comforting, while the Guinness adds a yeasty bitter note to the stew.  The beef is tossed in flour before searing, which helps thicken the broth into a luscious, stick-to-your-ribs gravy.  You can add whatever vegetables you like, but I kept it simple with onions, carrots and mushrooms.  Some recipes call for potatoes, peas, and/or celery, so any of those added in would work! Despite the fact that this recipe takes about 2 hours to get on the table, your hands-off time is well over an hour of that so it’s pretty easy to get everything prepped and put together, giving you time to enjoy a glass of wine…or Guinness.  I like to serve this with crusty bread, or even better, a buttery beer bread (like the one I’m going to share tomorrow) to sop up the gravy.  Any recipe that has been braising/cooking for a long time needs something bright and fresh at the end, so add some parsley and green onions (for GREEN, obviously) to finish.  No danger of pinches here!

Also, is that the dumbest tradition or what?! Getting pinched is the worst.

Guinness Beef Stew

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• Author: Amanda
• Yield: 4 servings

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Description

A rich, hearty bowl of Irish beef stew with Guinness is the make-ahead comfort food your St. Patrick’s Day needs!  Full of bacon, tender beef chuck, veggies and coated in a thick, beefy gravy…you can’t go wrong with this stew.

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Ingredients

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• 5 slices bacon, diced
• 2-1/2 pounds boneless beef chuck, cut into 1-inch cubes
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Olive oil, as needed
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 large onion, diced
• 2 large carrots, peeled and diced
• 2 garlic cloves, finely minced
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
• 1 large sprig of fresh rosemary
• 8 ounces cremini mushrooms, caps trimmed and sliced
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• One 12-ounce bottle Guinness beer
• 2 cups low-sodium beef stock
• Fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped, for garnish
• Thinly sliced green onions, for garnish

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Instructions

1. Preheat a 5-quart brasier or large pot over medium heat.  Once hot, add the bacon and cook until golden and crisp, about 5 to 6 minutes.  Remove to a paper towel-lined plate.  Reserve the bacon fat in the pan and increase the heat to medium-high.
2. Toss the beef cubes in salt, pepper and the 2 tablespoons flour to evenly coat.  Add half of the beef to the skillet and sear on both sides until golden brown, about 2 to 3 minutes per side.  Remove from the pan and repeat with the remaining half of the beef.  Set aside.
3. Reduce the heat to medium and add the onion and carrots with a pinch of salt.  Sauté until softened and the onions are translucent, about 5 to 6 minutes.  Add the garlic, thyme and rosemary spring and toss for about 30 seconds, until the garlic is fragrant.  Add the sliced mushrooms and cook for another 5 to 6 minutes, until the mushrooms have softened and released some of their liquid.  You may need to add a little olive oil if the pan is looking dry.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Add the tomato paste and cook for 4 to 5 minutes more, until the tomato paste turns brick-red.  Stir in the Guinness, scraping up the bits on the bottom of the pan.  Add the beef stock and the seared beef and bring to a boil.  Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium-low. cover the pot and simmer for 70 to 90 minutes, until the beef is meltingly tender and the broth has thickened.  I like to leave the lid slightly cracked so the stew can thicken.  Add the bacon back in and stir together.  Serve with fresh parsley and green onions.

• Category: Soups/Stews, Beef