Irish Beef and Guinness Stew

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2.5 lb beef chuck (Boneless short rib or another boneless slow-cooking beef may be used; cut into 5 cm / 2 in chunks.)
• 0.75 tsp salt (Shared amount with black pepper; to taste for final adjustment.)
• 0.75 tsp black pepper (Shared amount with salt; to taste for final adjustment.)
• 3 garlic (Cloves, minced.)
• 2 onions (Brown, white, or yellow; chopped.)
• 6 oz bacon (Diced; speck or pancetta may be used instead.)
• 3 tbsp all-purpose flour (Plain flour; see source for a gluten-free alternative.)
• 440 ml Guinness beer
• 4 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 cup chicken stock (Beef broth may be used instead.)
• 3 carrots (Peeled and cut into 1.25 cm / 1/2 in thick pieces.)
• 2 celery stalks (Cut into 2 cm / 1 in pieces.)
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tsp fresh thyme (Or substitute 1 tsp dried thyme leaves.)
• olive oil (Add more only if the pot looks dry after browning the beef.)
• salt (To taste, for final adjustment.)
• black pepper (To taste, for final adjustment.)
• creamy mashed potatoes (For serving; quantity not specified.)

Steps

1. 1

   Cut the beef into 5 cm / 2 in chunks. Pat it dry, then sprinkle it with the measured salt and black pepper.

2. 2

   Heat the olive oil in a heavy-based pot over high heat. Brown the beef well on all sides in batches, transferring each batch to a plate before browning the next.

3. 3

   Reduce the heat to medium. If the pot looks dry, add a little more olive oil.

4. 4

   Add the minced garlic and chopped onion. Cook for 3 minutes, until they begin to soften.

5. 5

   Add the diced bacon. Cook until browned.

6. 6

   Stir in the carrot and celery pieces.

7. 7

   Add the flour and stir for 1 minute to cook it off.

8. 8

   Pour in the Guinness, chicken stock, and tomato paste. Mix well to dissolve the flour.

9. 9

   Add the bay leaves and thyme.

10. 10

    Return the browned beef to the pot, including any juices that collected on the plate. The liquid should just cover the beef.

11. 11

    Cover the pot and lower the heat until the stew is bubbling gently. Cook for 2 hours, until the beef is fairly tender.

12. 12

    Remove the lid and simmer for a further 30–45 minutes, until the beef falls apart when touched and the sauce has reduced and thickened slightly.

13. 13

    Skim fat from the surface if desired. Adjust the salt and black pepper to taste, then remove the bay leaves and thyme.

14. 14

    Serve with creamy mashed potatoes.

Notes

The source lists stove-top cooking as 3 hours in its body, while the structured data gives 2 hours covered plus 30–45 minutes uncovered (and a 180-minute cook time); the structured method and timings are followed here. The body also gives optional oven, slow-cooker, and pressure-cooker methods, but those are not included because the authoritative structured instructions specify the stove-top method.

Nutrition per serving

• main
• dinner
• Irish
• stew
• slow-cooked
• comfort food
• contains gluten
• contains alcohol