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The month of March and the St. Patrick’s Day holiday put me in the mood for the wonderful hearty stews we sampled in pubs all across Ireland. This Beef and Guinness stew is my attempt to recreate those excellent meals. I have to say, I think it came out quite well. The flavor was rich, the gravy was thick, and the meat was super tender. I’m thinking of making it again next weekend! It’s a really great dish to make on a cold weekend day when you have a couple of hours to spare. It’s easy to assemble but it does require 3 hours in the oven so plan accordingly.
Notes on Beef and Guinness Stew
I used a whole pint of Guinness and a little coffee to boost the flavor of this stew. This Serious Eats post noted that the addition of coffee helps to amplify the coffee and chocolate notes. I have to say I found this did work nicely!
I also used a little bacon in this recipe -mainly so I could brown the meat in bacon grease. While this may not be the healthiest of choices, I think it really added to the stew’s depth and flavor. Bacon + Guinness = Awesome!
Beef and Guinness Stew
Ingredients
- 2.5 lbs beef chuck, cut into 1.5 inch cubes
- salt and pepper for seasoning beef
- 3 slices bacon
- 2 large onions, diced
- 1 lb carrots (or mix or carrots and parsnips), peeled and cut into ½ in pieces
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tsp fennel seed
- 1 tsp caraway seed (optional)
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- ¼ cup flour
- 3 cups chicken or beef stock
- 1 pint Guinness
- ½ cup black coffee
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- bouquet garni (fresh parsley and thyme sprigs plus a bay leaf) tied together with string
- 1.5 lbs yukon gold potatoes, cut into 1 inch pieces (I like the baby variety)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325
- Season beef with freshly ground sea salt and pepper on both sides.
- Cook the bacon in a large dutch oven over low heat. Use tongs to turn the strips so they brown evenly. When bacon is cooked, transfer it to a paper towel lined plate. Turn up the heat to medium. Working in batches, brown the beef on all sides. Transfer beef to a paper towel lined plate.
- Add onions to the pan (add a little olive oil if needed). Cook the onions over medium-low for 5 minutes. Add carrots and garlic and cook two more minutes. Add fennel seed, caraway seed, and tomato paste. Stir and cook 3 minutes.
- Add the flour and stir to coat veggies. Cook 2-3 minutes and then slowly add chicken stock, Guinness, and coffee. Add brown sugar, bouquet garni, and bay leaf. Stir the mixture and bring it to a gentle boil.
- Return the beef to the pot. Place the pot in the oven uncovered and roast for 2 hours.
- Remove pot from oven and add potatoes. Mix together and return to oven for 1 more hour.
- Remove stew from oven. Potatoes should be fully cooked an beef should be tender. Adjust seasoning and serve. Garnish with chopped parsley and crumbled bacon.
