Irish Beef Stew with Guinness

This stew recipe has such great flavor it will quickly become a favorite.  Using Guinness Stout beer adds a rich flavor to this beef stew and then it's cooked the old fashioned way, low and slow.  At a low temperature of just 275 degrees and cooking the stew for 2 hours, the flavors blend into a creamy beefy gravy that will warm your soul on a cold winter night.   All you need is a loaf of Irish Soda Bread on the side to soak up all of the delicious gravy.


2 TB Olive Oil
3 Bay Leaves
1 1/2 lbs Beef Stew Meat, cut into 1 1/2 inch to 2 inch cubes (with some fat)
1 large Yellow Onion, peeled and cut into 1/4 inch slices
3 cloves Garlic, peeled and chopped
1 1/2 tsp Dried Thyme, whole
3 - 4 Heaping TB All Purpose Flour
1  15 oz can  Beef Stock
1 Guinness Stout Beer
1 TB chopped Parsley (optional)
6  Carrots, peeled and sliced
8  Small Red Potatoes, washed and quartered
Salt and Ground Black Pepper to taste

Heat a 6-quart stove-top and oven-proof pot over medium-high heat and add the oil and bay leaves. Heat the bay leaves for a few moments then add the beef, browning meat on all sides over medium-high heat. Add the sliced onion and cook until tender. Reduce heat to low and add garlic, thyme, and flour, adjusting the flour as needed to evenly coat the beef and onions; stir well until smooth.

Add the beef stock and Guinness; simmer, stirring, until the stew thickens a bit. Add the remaining ingredients, stir and cover.

Place the pot in a 275 F oven for about 2 hours, stirring a couple of times. Season with salt and pepper before serving.   Serves 6.