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St. Patrick's Day: Beef and Guinness Stew

Source of Recipe


Darina Allen, Ballymaloe Cooking School (County Cork, Ireland)



List of Ingredients



• 2 pounds lean stewing beef
  
• 3 Tbsp oil
  
• 2 Tbsp flour
  
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
  
• Pinch of cayenne
  
• 2 large onions, coarsely chopped
  
• 1 large clove garlic, crushed (optional)
  
• 2 Tbsp tomato purée, dissolved in 4 Tbsp water
  
• 1¼ cup Guinness
  
• 2 cups carrots, cut into chunks
  
• Sprig of thyme
  
• .
  
• Chopped parsley, for serving
  






Instructions



1. Trim the meat of any fat or gristle, cut into 2-inch cubes, and toss them in a bowl with 1 tablespoon oil. Season the flour with salt, freshly ground pepper, and a pinch or two of cayenne. Toss the meat in the mixture.
   
   
2. Heat the remaining oil in a wide frying pan over a high heat. Brown the meat on all sides. Add the onions, crushed garlic and tomato purée to the pan; cover and cook gently for about 5 minutes.
   
   
3. Transfer the contents of the pan to a casserole, and pour some of the Guinness into the frying pan. Bring to a boil and stir to dissolve the caramelized meat juices on the pan. Pour onto the meat with the remaining Guinness; add the carrots and the thyme. Stir, taste, and add a little more salt if necessary. Cover with the lid of the casserole and simmer very gently until the meat is tender -- 2 to 3 hours. The stew may be cooked on top of the stove or in a low oven at 300° F. Taste and correct the seasoning. Scatter with lots of chopped parsley.
   
   Makes 6 to 8 servings.
   
   






Final Comments


"Guinness, Ireland's famous black stout, has been brewed in Dublin since 1759. It has a very special place in Irish life. In Dublin Tenement Life: An Oral History, publican John O'Dwyer recalls the importance of stout in the lives of the poorest tenement dwellers in Dublin: 'They had nothing. They lived for pints. Drink was the main diet. It was food... they used to call the pint the liquid food.' "