Guinness Beef Stew

Guinness Beef Stew

DeerPark Lodge Virginia, County Cavan Ireland 1993

• 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 3 pounds beef chuck roast, trimmed of excess fat and cut into bite-sized pieces
• Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper
• 1 large white or yellow onion, peeled and diced
• 4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
• ½ cup flour
• 1 (12 ounce) bottle Guinness beer
• 4 cups beef stock
• 3 large carrots, peeled and diagonally sliced into bite-sized pieces
• 1½ pounds Yukon gold potatoes, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 bay leaf
• ½ teaspoon dried thyme optional garnish: chopped fresh parsley

1. Season beef with a few generous pinches of salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large stockpot over medium-high heat. Add half of beef to pan. Cook until seared, turning the beef every 30 to 45 seconds or so until all sides are browned. Remove beef with a slotted spoon, and transfer to a clean plate. Add an additional 1 tablespoon oil to the stockpot and repeat this process with the remaining half of the beef.
2. Add the onion to the stockpot (adding extra oil if needed, but usually there are leftover drippings/oil from the beef) and sauté for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add garlic and sauté for 1 minute, stirring occasionally. Stir in the flour until it has evenly coated the onions, and cook for 1 minute, stirring occasionally. Gradually stir in the Guinness and use a wooden spoon to scrape the bottom of the pan to loosen any of those yummy brown bits. Stir in the beef stock, carrots, potatoes, tomato paste, bay leaf, thyme and the cooked beef (along with any of its accumulated juices). Continue cooking until the stew reaches a simmer. Then cover and reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer over low for 1½ hours, stirring occasionally, until the beef is tender, and the potatoes are soft.
3. Remove bay leaf and season with additional salt and pepper if needed.
4. Serve warm garnished with chopped parsley if desired

Note: If you would like some of the potatoes and carrots to have a bite to them, just hold half back and add after the stew has been cooking for approximately 30 to 40 minutes. Another alternative is to omit the potatoes and instead serve stew over mashed potatoes.