Guinness Beef Stew

Create an easy and delicious stew in honor of St. Patrick’s Day – Guiness Irish stew!  The beef and vegetables simmer in a heavenly mixture of beef broth and Guinness that brings out the tenderness and flavor of the beef.  I ladled it over Classic Mashed Potatoes for a feast worthy of the day. Pour a pint and enjoy. Slainte!

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds of bottom round rump roast cut into 2 inch pieces
1 cup of all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon of fresh pepper
1/2 cup of olive oil
1 – 8 oz. package of button mushrooms washed and quartered, smaller one ones cut in half
3 small garlic cloves crushed through a garlic press
3 – 4 inch sprigs of rosemary
3 – 4 inch sprigs of thyme sprigs
1- 14.9 oz. can of Guinness Draught (about 2 cups)
4 cups of beef broth
2 tablespoons of tomato paste
4 large carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch dice
Half a 1 lb. bag of frozen pearl onions
1/2 cup of barley

Technique

Add beef, flour and salt and pepper to a large Ziplog bag and shake to coat beef. In a large Dutch oven or large pot, heat olive oil over medium high heat. Remove meat from bag one piece at a time and shake off any excess flour. Sear meat in batches and transfer to a large plate. Don’t overcrowd the pot or the meat won’t sear. Add mushrooms and sauté until tender. Add the garlic, rosemary and thyme and sauté for about 30 seconds or until fragrant. Deglaze the pot with the beer, scraping up brown bits at the bottom of the pot. Add broth, tomato paste, beef, carrots, pearl onions and barley. Stir and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered for about four hours, stirring often. Discard the rosemary and thyme sprigs and a dash more of kosher salt and pepper to taste. Serve family style or plate as shown.

Suggested Beverage

Pour up a pint, such as, a Guinness Stout, Murphy’s Irish Stout, Finnegan’s Irish Amber, make a Black and Tan, or try a robust red wine, such as, Joel Gott Cabernet Sauvignon (California), Summation Red Wine Bland by Kendall Jackson Vintner’s Reserve (California) or J. Lohr Paso Robles Merlot (California).

Chatty Advice

The addition of the barley will thicken the stew and add a depth of flavor. Even thought it is a small amount a little goes a long way.  The addition of the barley can make it a one pot meal, but feel free to add peeled potatoes for a more robust meal.

This recipe does not call for a bouquet ganri, which is a French term that means wrapping the herbs in cheesecloth and to tie with kitchen sting. Often times it is tied to the handle of the pot if it has one. The purpose of a bouquet garni is for the dish to have the flavors of the herbs and to easily remove them. Herbs easily fall off the stem when cooking and some people do not like the herbs in the dish, but like the flavor. I like the herbs, so I don’t use a bouquet garni. It is your option to use it or not.