For the record, as a kid, I did not like stew. Or at least I thought I did not like stew. I still vividly remember a time–around 10 years old–when I was visiting family in California with my grandmother. The family member graciously wanted to feed us and dished up a large bowl of stew. I cringed. Trying not to be rude, I moved the stew around my plate and ate the meat and potatoes, leaving behind the vegetables and broth. Looking back, I didn’t realize what I was missing!
Today, a great stew is the perfect fall or winter meal. The heartier the stew, the better, in my opinion. As an adult, I love it all–the veggies, the broth, the meat. It is all slow cooked goodness. Yum!
I remember visiting my in-laws in Ireland a few years ago and my mother-in-law asked me if stew for dinner would be okay. (For some reason she was hesitant to serve it.) I replied with an enthusiastic, “YES!” which surprised her a bit. What she didn’t realize is that stew is comfort and it feels like home, no matter where you are in the world.
For the record, my Irish mother-in-law made a great stew. It was perfectly seasoned and so full of slow-cooked flavor. What did surprise me though, was how it was served. She would break it down into courses. She would remove all meat and vegetables and serve the stock first as a soup course. Then the meat and vegetables were served with a side of potatoes that had been cooked separately from the stew. While it was served differently from the stews I had known, it was so good!
Like my mother-in-law, I serve my Irish stew over mashed potatoes rather than cooking potatoes in the stew. It’s an extra step, but I like that the potatoes aren’t overcooked during the stewing process. Plus, the potatoes can also be dressed up into a colcannon if you like.
My stew recipe is very different than my mother-in-laws. The foundation of my Irish stew is Guinness stout. While I am not a beer drinker (much to my Irish husband’s chagrin), I do love the depth that Guinness creates. It brings out the beefiness of the meat and it creates a deeper flavor.
I like to add bacon to my stew. I find that cooking the vegetables in bacon fat adds so much flavor to the stew. It also adds more heartiness, which always makes me happy. Plus, bacon makes everything better, right?
When you go through my Irish Beef and Guinness Stew recipe, you might be surprised that I use chicken base instead of beef stock. I do this to cut the richness of the stew and to make sure the flavor of the Guinness isn’t completely overpowered. See, there is method to my madness!
If you’ve read my other blog posts, you’ve probably guessed that I enjoy having a “secret ingredient” in my dishes. My stew is no different. I find that adding a little porcini powder gives the stew a great umami-ness. Porcini powder is a bit of a specialty product, however you can buy it online or it is sold as “Multipurpose Umami Seasoning” at Trader Joe’s. It takes a bit more work, but I make my own by grinding down dried porcini mushrooms. I list porcini powder as optional in the recipe, I but I strongly recommend you give it a try since it takes the stew to the next level–an eleven. (Yes, that’s a Spinal Tap reference.)
The great thing about my Irish Beef and Guinness Stew is that it’s a comfort food you can eat any time of year. Sure, I eat it more often from October to St. Patrick’s Day, but there is nothing wrong with having it anytime you want. You don’t even have to be Irish…
Irish Beef and Guinness Stew
Course: DinnerCuisine: IrishDifficulty: Easy6
servings5
minutes3
hours25
minutes450
kcalIt doesn’t matter where you are in the world, a hearty beef stew tastes like home. This Irish Beef and Guinness Stew is easy to make and packs a flavor punch thanks to stout beer, porcini powder and lots of time (and Thyme!). You don’t have to be Irish or celebrating St. Patrick’s Day to love this flavorful dish. Serve it over a side of mashed potatoes and with a pint. It is a comfort food that is delicious all year round.
Ingredients
2 1/2 pounds stew meat or chuck roast cut into chunks
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
6 slices thick-cut bacon, diced
1 large onion, cut into 1″ chunks
2 carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2″ slices
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbs tomato paste
1/2 tbs Better Than Bouillon Chicken Base
1 12-oz bottle Guinness stout
2 cups water
1 bay leaf
1 tsp dried French thyme
1 tsp porcini powder (optional)
3 tbs Worchestershire sauce
1 cup sweet peas
Directions
- Combine flour, salt and black pepper in a large bowl or zip top bag. Add beef and toss to coat.
- Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. When oil is shimmering, add beef (in batches if necessary) and brown on all sides, about 5 minutes per batch. Remove beef and set aside.
- With Dutch oven still on medium heat, add bacon to the pan and cook until fat renders and is foamy, about 7-10 minutes.
- Add onion, garlic and carrots to the bacon and cook until slightly tender, about 7-10 minutes.
- Stir in tomato paste and chicken base to bacon and onion mixture and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
- Poor in Guinness and water. Stir in bay leaf, thyme, porcini powder and Worchestershire. Add beef back to Dutch oven and submerge in liquid.
- Bring to boil over medium-high heat then reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer 2-3 hours, or until meat is tender. About 20 minutes before serving, stir in peas.
- Serve over mashed potatoes. Enjoy!
Notes
- Yellow, white and red onions are all ok. I would avoid sweet onions since they would add a lot more moisture to the stew.
- You can buy porcini powder online or at retailers such as Trader Joe’s. You can also make your own by grinding dried porcini mushrooms until they are a fine powder.
- About halfway through the cooking, I like to skim off any fat that is floating on top. This is an optional step and will depend on how fatty the bacon and the meat were prior to cooking.
- For a thicker stew, I recommend cracking the lid about 1/4″ about halfway through the cooking time to release moisture and reduce the broth.
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