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For St. Patrick's Day dinner last week, I decided to try the Guinness Stew that Jessica posted at Catholic Cuisine. My family thanked me repeatedly, especially the kids. No surprise, the reason they loved it was the lack of many vegetables. Carrots they love; beef they love -- simple, simple. I questioned my husband as to whether or not I should add some more vegetables and he resoundingly said, "No!" Paired with just a lovely loaf of Irish Soda Bread, they were happy, happy with the St. Paddy's meal.
The stew has a rich, tasty gravy, but I would not say it actually tastes like the Guinness. It adds a depth of flavor along with the tomato paste, and the herbs and spices. I forgot to buy parsley, hence the absence of green in picture -- except for the Shamrock!
You don't need to wait for St. Patrick's Day to roll around to enjoy this yummy dish -- you could probably find an Irish Catholic saint almost any day of the year.
Irish Beef and Guinness Stew
6-8 servings
6-8 servings
2 lb. lean beef stew meat
3 T. vegetable oil, divided
2 T. all-purpose flour
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 pinch cayenne pepper
2 lrg. onions, chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
2 T. tomato paste
1½ c. Guinness stout beer (or other Irish Stout)
2 c. carrot, cut into chunks
1 sprig fresh thyme
1 T. fresh parsley (for garnish) chopped
Trim the meat of any fat, cut into 2 inch cubes, and toss them in a bowl with 1 tbs of the vegetable oil. In a small bowl, stir together the flour, salt, pepper, and a pinch of cayenne. Toss the meat in the mixture to coat.
Heat the remaining oil in a deep pan over medium-high heat. Add the beef, and brown on all sides. Add the onions and crushed garlic. Stir the tomato paste into a small amount of water (to dilute); pour into the pan, stir to blend, cover and cook gently (reduce heat if necessary) for about 5 minutes.
Pour 1/2 cup of the beer into the pan, and as it begins to boil, scrape any bits of food from the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. This adds a lot of flavor to the broth. Pour in the rest of the beer, and add the carrots and thyme. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 2 to 3 hours, stirring occasionally. Taste and adjust seasoning before serving. Garnish with chopped parsley.
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3 T. vegetable oil, divided
2 T. all-purpose flour
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 pinch cayenne pepper
2 lrg. onions, chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
2 T. tomato paste
1½ c. Guinness stout beer (or other Irish Stout)
2 c. carrot, cut into chunks
1 sprig fresh thyme
1 T. fresh parsley (for garnish) chopped
Trim the meat of any fat, cut into 2 inch cubes, and toss them in a bowl with 1 tbs of the vegetable oil. In a small bowl, stir together the flour, salt, pepper, and a pinch of cayenne. Toss the meat in the mixture to coat.
Heat the remaining oil in a deep pan over medium-high heat. Add the beef, and brown on all sides. Add the onions and crushed garlic. Stir the tomato paste into a small amount of water (to dilute); pour into the pan, stir to blend, cover and cook gently (reduce heat if necessary) for about 5 minutes.
Pour 1/2 cup of the beer into the pan, and as it begins to boil, scrape any bits of food from the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. This adds a lot of flavor to the broth. Pour in the rest of the beer, and add the carrots and thyme. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 2 to 3 hours, stirring occasionally. Taste and adjust seasoning before serving. Garnish with chopped parsley.
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Source: Catholic Cuisine
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1 comment:
My kids love stew too. I don't know why. I was brought up on the horrific concoction that is Irish stew and can't even smell the stuff. My Mom makes it for them when they visit. But it's exactly what you say, just carrots and beef (and potatoes) and they just love it!
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