Guinness Beef Stew (Recipe 38 of 150)

When we were in Ireland a handful of years ago, one of our first nights out to dinner I ordered Guinness Stew. I mean, when in Rome and all. The waitress asked if I wanted veggies as a side, and I figured yes, why not. 

The stew was laid before me and this hearty, beefy stew with potatoes in it was ladled over a hefty helping of mashed potatoes. And the side veggies? French fries. I laughed so hard with how they love their potatoes a lot. 

I've made Guinness Stew a hand full of times (here, here, and here). All of them are good, none of them were like the one I had in Ireland. This recipe was good too. Still not as good as Ireland, but I wouldn't expect them to. 

It's a hearty recipe that has good beefy stew flavor. 

Guinness Beef Stew

Recipe from Love From the Oven

Serves 8

• 2 pounds beef chuck boneless
• salt and pepper for seasoning
• 1/2 pound bacon approximately 8 slices
• 3 onions chopped
• 3 garlic cloves minced
• 1/3 c all purpose flour
• 18 ounces Guinness or dark beer you can use 1 and 1/2 of the 18 ounce bottles
• 1 1/2 c beef broth
• 1/4 c tomato paste
• 2 large carrots peeled and sliced
• 2 large celery ribs peeled and sliced
• 1 1/2 c Yukon Gold potatoes cut into 1" cubes
• 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp pepper
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• 1 bay leaf

Begin by cutting the beef chuck into 1 ½ inch pieces, then sprinkle it with salt and pepper and set it aside.

Next in a Dutch oven on medium high heat, add the bacon to the pan and fry. Once fully cooked remove the bacon from the pan, crumble it and set it aside. Leave the bacon fat in the pan.

To the bacon fat, add the beef chuck to the Dutch oven little by little and let it brown. As the pieces cook, remove them and set them on a plate off to the side. Keep the fat in the pan, don’t drain it.

Next, Sauté your onions in the fat for about 5 minutes then add the garlic and allow it to cook for one more minute.

To the onion, garlic, and fat, add the flour and allow it to cook until golden brown.

To the flour mixture, add the Guinness beer and stir well. Gently scrape the brown bits off the bottom of the pan and combine. Add in the tomato paste and beef broth and whisk together. Put the beef and bacon back into the stew and stir.

Next add in the chopped carrots, celery, potatoes, worcestershire sauce, sugar, pepper, thyme, and bay leaf.

Allow the stew to boil then reduce the heat. Cover the dutch oven and let it cook for about 2 hours. Once the two hours is up remove the lid and allow it to simmer for another 30 minutes so it can thicken up. Once you’re ready to serve, remove the bay leaf and enjoy!