Description
A rich and hearty Beef and Guinness Stew featuring tender chunks of beef simmered slowly in a savory Guinness beer sauce with bacon, carrots, and aromatic herbs. Perfect comfort food served traditionally with creamy mashed potatoes.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Meat and Seasoning
- 2.5 lb / 1.25 kg beef chuck, boneless short rib or any other slow cooking beef (no bone), cut into 5cm chunks
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 3/4 tsp black pepper
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
Vegetables and Aromatics
- 2 onions, chopped (brown, white or yellow)
- 3 carrots, peeled and cut into 1.25 cm / 1/2″ thick pieces
- 2 large celery stalks, cut into 2 cm / 1″ pieces
- 2 bay leaves
- 3 sprigs thyme (or 1 tsp dried thyme leaves)
Other Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 6 oz / 180 g bacon, speck or pancetta, diced
- 3 tbsp all-purpose flour (use gluten free flour as a substitute if needed)
- 440 ml / 14.9 oz Guinness Beer
- 4 tbsp tomato paste
- 3 cups (750 ml) chicken stock or broth (or beef broth)
Instructions
- Prepare the beef: Pat the beef chunks dry and sprinkle evenly with salt and pepper to season the meat thoroughly.
- Brown the beef: Heat olive oil in a heavy-based pot over high heat. Add beef in batches and brown well on all sides to develop deep flavor. Remove browned beef onto a plate and repeat until all beef is browned.
- Sauté aromatics and bacon: Reduce heat to medium. If the pot looks dry, add a bit more oil. Add garlic and chopped onions and cook for about 3 minutes until softened. Add diced bacon and cook until browned and fragrant.
- Add vegetables: Stir in the carrots and celery pieces, cooking briefly to combine flavors.
- Thicken with flour: Sprinkle flour over the mixture and stir continuously for 1 minute to cook off the raw flour taste, which will thicken the stew sauce.
- Add liquids and herbs: Pour in the Guinness beer, chicken broth, and tomato paste. Stir well to dissolve the flour completely. Add bay leaves and thyme sprigs.
- Return beef to pot: Place the browned beef chunks back into the pot along with any accumulated juices. Ensure the liquid barely covers the beef.
- Simmer the stew: Cover the pot and reduce heat to a gentle simmer. Cook for 2 hours until the beef is tender.
- Reduce the sauce: Remove the lid and simmer uncovered for another 30 to 45 minutes until the beef falls apart easily and the sauce thickens slightly.
- Finish and adjust seasoning: Skim off any surface fat if desired. Remove bay leaves and thyme sprigs. Adjust salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve: Serve hot with creamy mashed potatoes for a classic hearty meal.
Notes
- Guinness Beer provides the distinctive rich flavor in the sauce but is not overpowering. If you cannot use alcohol, substitute with 2 cups water, 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce, and 2 crumbled beef bouillon cubes for a classic stew taste.
- Alternate cooking methods include baking in a 160°C/320°F oven covered for 2 1/2 hours, slow cooking on low for 8 hours after initial simmer, or pressure cooking on high for 40 minutes with the same ingredient setup.
- Add flour during cooking rather than dusting beef before browning to avoid burnt flour flavor in the stew.
- Chicken broth is preferred for a milder flavor letting the Guinness beer shine, but beef broth works equally well for variation.
- Nutrition values are calculated per serving excluding mashed potatoes and may be slightly overstated without accounting for skimmed fat.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving (approx. 1/6 of recipe without mashed potatoes)
- Calories: 450 kcal
- Sugar: 5 g
- Sodium: 680 mg
- Fat: 22 g
- Saturated Fat: 7 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 13 g
- Trans Fat: 0.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 14 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 42 g
- Cholesterol: 110 mg
