Irish Beef Stew (Recipe 151 of 125)

Photo from Damn Delicious

I lost count of how many times I had Irish stew, or Guinness stew in Ireland. And in every case they served it over mashed potatoes. Which blew me away. One time, they asked if I wanted a side of vegetables with it and I figured some veggies would be good. It came with the stew (that had potatoes in it) over mashed potatoes, with a side of French fries! 

This recipe is simple, quick, and delicious. I did NOT make the mashed potatoes. While I loved it in Ireland, I just don't think stew goes on tip of mashed potatoes. 

I added a couple of dashes of Worcestershire sauce. It was just missing something savory to it. 

Irish Beef Stew

Recipe from Damn Delicious

Serves 6

1 T olive oil

1 pound stew meat, cut into 1-inch cubes

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 onion, diced

1 leek, thinly sliced

2 carrots, peeled and diced

1 T tomato paste

1 cup beef broth

1 c dark stout beer*

2 T chopped fresh parsley leaves

1 tsp fresh thyme leaves

1 bay leaf

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/2 cup frozen peas

FOR THE GARLIC MASHED POTATOES

2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and quartered

4 cloves garlic

1/2 cup half and half*

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

To make the garlic mashed potatoes, place potatoes and garlic in a large stockpot or Dutch oven and cover with cold water by 1 inch. Bring to a boil and cook until tender, about 15-20 minutes; drain well and return to the stockpot.

Stir in half and half and butter. Using a potato masher, mash until smooth and creamy; set aside.

Heat olive oil in a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Season beef with salt and pepper, to taste. Add beef to the stockpot and cook until evenly browned, about 2-3 minutes; set aside.

Add garlic, onion, leek and carrots to the stockpot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 3-4 minutes. Stir in tomato paste until well combined, about 1 minute.

Whisk in beef broth, beer, parsley, thyme, bay leaf and beef; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, cover and simmer until the beef is tender, about 90 minutes.

In a small bowl, combine butter and flour. Add mixture to the stockpot until thickened, about 2-3 minutes. Stir in frozen peas until heated through, about 1-2 minutes.

Serve immediately with garlic mashed potatoes.