guinness beef stew

I want to face plant in this pot of stew and I'm not even sorry about it.

Yes, that's right, I'm dropping yet another cold weather recipe on you…at the end of March! But hear me out...

I really did think we were over and done with winter foods a few weeks ago. At that point, I thought I had made every winter meal there was. But, I forgot one. And Mother Nature knew. She knew I forgot to make stew. And because of it, we're still stuck with highs in the 30's and a snowstorm in the forecast. Whoops.

So, to appease Mother Nature, let's all make stew. And then maybe April will be different? Maybe?

To be honest, beef stew has never been high on my list. However, I had some Guinness in the fridge for St. Patrick's Day and it only seemed right to put it to good use in a big pot of stew. And I'm certainly glad I did. This guinness beef stew has officially changed my thoughts on stew. The meat is flavorful and perfectly cooked, the veggies are chunky and hearty, but the real winner here is the base of this stew. It's flavored with Guinness, brown sugar, and tomato paste and I'd drink it with a straw. No lie.

Here's hoping this is the last of the cold weather and comfort food. Now go make this stew before spring really gets here.

guinness beef stew

ingredients:
1 (3½ to 4-pound) boneless beef chuck-eye roast, pulled apart at seams, trimmed and cut into 1½-inch pieces
3 Tbsp vegetable oil
2 yellow onions, diced
1/4 tsp salt
1 Tbsp tomato paste
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3 cups chicken stock
1 (12-ounce) bottle Guinness Draught, divided (do not use Guinness Stout as it is too bitter)
5 tsp brown sugar
1/2 tsp thyme
1 1/2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, unpeeled, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 pound carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
2 Tbsp minced fresh parsley

directions:
Adjust an oven rack to the lower-middle position and preheat to 325 degrees. Season the beef with salt and freshly ground pepper.

Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat, add the onions and salt, and cook, stirring occasionally, until well browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the tomato paste and garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in the flour and cook for an additional 1 minute.

Whisk in the chicken stock, 3/4 cup of the Guinness, brown sugar and thyme, scraping up any browned bits on the bottom of the pot. Bring to a simmer and cook until slightly thickened, about 3 minutes. Stir in the beef and return to a simmer.

Transfer the pot to the oven and cook, uncovered, for 90 minutes, stirring halfway through cooking.

Stir in the potatoes and carrots and continue cooking until the beef and vegetables are tender, about 1 hour, stirring halfway through cooking. Remove the pot from the oven and stir in the remaining 1/2 cup of Guinness and the parsley. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve.

Yield: 6-8 servings
Source: slightly adapted from Brown Eyed Baker, originally from Cook's Country