As the traditional Irish booze-fest that goes by the name of ‘St Patrick’s Day’ comes into view, the time has come for me to share my tried and tested Irish Beef Stew Recipe. This basically represents an adapted version of my world-famous Steak and Guinness Pie, swapping out the pastry for a little added potatoes and moisture. The resulting bowl of goodness will then provide the energy for a wild and raucous night on the town in celebration of Mr. Patrick himself. So, let’s once again dig out the cooking Guinness as we knock up a vat of the World’s Best Irish Beef Stew.
Irish Beef Stew
Equipment
- 1 Frying Pan
Ingredients
- 1kg (2lb) Fresh Stewing Beef (Chuck, Skirt or Flank)
- 100g (3oz) Plain Flour
- 6g (1tsp) Salt
- 2g (½tsp) Freshly ground Black Pepper
- 45g (3tbsp) Olive Oil
- 660g (2 Bottles) Guinness Foreign Extra
- 400g (14oz) Chopped Onions
- 40g (8 cloves) Garlic, crushed and chopped
- 60g (2oz) Balsamic Vinegar
- 60g (2oz) Light Soy Sauce
- 400g (14oz) Carrots
- 150g (5oz) Celery
- 500g (2 stock pots) Chicken Stock
- 6 Bay Leaves
- 8g (1tsp) Fresh Rosemary
- 4g (½tsp) Fresh Thyme
- 750g (1½lb) White Potatoes
- 200g (7oz) Leek
Instructions
- Chop the beef into chunky cubes around 2.5cm (1 inch) in size. Then rub in 6g of Salt and 2g of Black Pepper, followed by 50g of Plain Flour
- Next, heat 15g of Olive Oil per batch in a large frying pan, and fry the beef in 2 batches until browned off. Once done, transfer it to a large thick-bottomed cooking pot, along with one bottle of Guinness and the remaining 50g of flour. Then give the whole thing a big stir
- Using the same pan you used to brown the meat, heat the remaining15g of Olive Oil, and fry 400g of onions until translucent, then add 40g garlic and continue to cook for a further minute
- Add 60g of balsamic vinegar and 60g of Light Soy Sauce to caramelize the onion and garlic, and fry for around 2 minutes until fully absorbed. Then, toss the whole thing in with the beef and Guinness
- Put the dirty frying pan back on the heat, pour in the second bottle of Guinness, and bring to the boil. Swirl the liquid around the pan to rescue any remaining flavours, then pour it into the main cooking pot with the meat
- Place the meat, onions and Guinness filled pot on a medium heat. Then chop 400g of carrots into large chunks around the same size as the beef, and toss it in the mix along with 150g of roughly chopped celery, before simmering for ten minutes
- Add 500g of chicken stock and around a litre (2 pints) of water and stir
- Next, drop in 8g of finely chopped fresh rosemary, 4g of finely chopped fresh thyme, and 6 bay leaves. Now, cover the pot with a lid, and simmer for 2 hours, topping up with water occasionally if you can feel the sauce sticking to the bottom of the cooking pot
- After 2 hours, peel and chop 750g of White Potatoes into around 4-5cm (2 inch) cubes, and toss them into the mix, simmering for a further hour, topping up with water if it begins to dry out
- Following that third hour, give the meat a taste, if it has reached that melt-in-the-mouth consistency, you can remove the lid, throw in 200g of Chopped Leek and boil down the concoction to the point where the sauce is nice and thick. If the meat still has a little chew to it, continue to simmer and check again after another 30 minutes
- Right at the very end, adjust the salt and pepper to your liking
- If time is on your side, leave the stew to cool and refrigerate for 24 hours for the flavours to develop, before reheating. Otherwise, just tuck right in!
- Serve with a tasty slab of homemade bread
Nutrition
Getting the Most out of your Irish Beef Stew
Grab a Good Quality Lump of Beef
The heart and soul of this particular dish comes in the shape of the beef component, so go out and find the best cut possible. As we will slow cook the stew in order to bring out all of the flavours, you will require a good and tasty stewing beef to make it work. Sitting at the top of the this subset of meaty cuts, you will find Chuck, Skirt and Flank. However, if you have the benefit of a knowledgeable local butcher, ask them to recommend a particular cut for your Irish Beef Stew.
Simmer Until the Beef has Cooked Perfectly
Having spend a huge part of my life traveling from place to place, it has become apparent that not all cuts of beef are made equal. As a result, the cooking time can vary depending on the methods used to prepare and store it on the way to the butcher’s table. This essentially means that you, as the cook, should keep a beady eye on the meat in an attempt to catch it at its softest, before it disintegrates into the stew. As such, once you’ve hit the 3-hour mark, occasionally give it a taste, and boil down the liquid once it hits the sweet melt-in-the-mouth spot.
Pick a Strong Example of the Black Stuff for your Irish Beef Stew
For this recipe I have specified the use of Guinness Foreign Export, however, if unavailable, budding chefs can substitute it for something else. I would advise against opting for Guinness Draft because its lighter flavour will find it difficult to compete with the others in the stew. Instead, I would recommend a similarly strong tasting stout, somewhere in the region of 7% abv, that has what it takes to break through that flavour barrier.
Want to keep up the Irish theme? How about digesting your hearty meal with a mug of Irish Coffee
Leave a Reply