We are stew lovers. And I’m especially fond of making something for dinner and being done cleaning all of the prep dishes, bowls and spoons before said dinner. This recipe did take me a good hour of prep, including browning the meat (through step #2) but once it was cooking it was a breeze. My biggest edit in italics below was adding dark chocolate to reduce the bitterness of the stout beer. We paired this with Tullamore Dew Irish Whiskey, and later, a 2004 Pride Cabernet Franc.
Guinness Stew
Yield: 8 servings
Ingredients:
2-3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 pounds boneless chuck roast, trimmed and cut into 1-inch cubes (I bought stew beef already trimmed and cut.)
kosher salt, according to preference
freshly cracked pepper, according to preference
1 large Vidalia onion, coarsely chopped (No clue what that is, I bought a brown onion.)
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons tomato paste
4 cups beef stock
1/2 cup red wine
2 tablespoons A1 Steak Sauce
1 (11.2-ounce) bottle Guinness Stout
4-5 carrots, peeled and coarsely chopped
2 large Idaho potatoes, peeled and coarsely chopped
finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley (to use as a topping if desired.)
3 squares dark chocolate
Directions:
1. Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat.
2. Place flour in a medium bowl. Sprinkle beef with salt and pepper. Dredge beef in flour. Add half of the beef to the pan; cook 5 minutes, turning to brown on all sides. Remove beef from pan with a slotted spoon (I used tongs). Repeat procedure with remaining beef, adding more oil to the pan if necessary.
3. Add onion to pan; cook 5 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Add in garlic, stir for 1 minute. Stir in tomato paste; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in stock, wine, A1 and beer, scraping the bottom of the pan to loosen browned bits.
4. Return meat to the Dutch oven and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Uncover, add carrots and potatoes, bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer 45-60 minutes, or until meat and vegetables are fork tender. Season to taste.