Irish Beef Stew
The Nitty Gritty:
A delicious project for a weekend afternoon.- Level: 2
- Prep Time: 2.5 -3 hours (lots of simmering)
- Yields: Serves a crowd
- Tags: main stew
Traditional Irish stew is actually often made with lamb, but beef is cheaper and more universally found (and liked). Guinness adds a richness to the broth and the sherry rounds out the stew with subtle but key flavors.
This stew is a great project for a weekend afternoon. Take care not to over-cook the vegetables before throwing them into the pot with everything else — the potatoes’ starch will thicken the broth, but the carrots will be mushy. Additionally, don’t be afraid to be heavy-handed with the salt, as it really brings out the different flavors.
Ingredients:
- 1 ½ lbs. stew beef, cut into chunks
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 6 cups beef stock
- 4 Tbsp. tomato paste
- 1 Tbsp. sugar
- 2 Tbsp. fresh thyme, minced very fine (can substitute 1 Tbsp. dried thyme)
- 1 ½ Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
- 2 whole bay leaves
- 45 oz. Guinness, from 3 cans
- 2 Tbsp. sherry
- 3 Tbsp. unsalted butter
- 3 lbs. Russet potatoes
- 1 large yellow onion, minced
- 4 large carrots
- kosher salt
- freshly ground pepper
- Sauté beef until just cooked.
Instructions:
Note: To concoct this stew, you will need one medium pot, one big pot, and two large skillets or saucepans. The latter three will be on the stove at the same time.
Peel the potatoes and place in a bowl of cold water. Peel carrots and cut into 1-inch chunks. Mince onion and set aside in a second bowl with the carrots. (This is time-intensive, but excellent knife skills practice.)
In the medium pot, bring beef stock and 2 cans of the Guinness to a simmer.
In the bigger pot, heat the vegetable oil on medium heat. Add beef and sauté until just cooked (but don't overcook -- it should be slightly pink in the middle and browned on the outside). Season with 1 tsp. salt.
Add garlic and sauté for 1 minute, stirring to prevent garlic from burning. Make a little room in the pan for the tomato paste and sauté it separately for a minute before mixing in with the beef. (This is a flavor-enhancing technique we recommend whenever cooking with tomato paste.)
Add 1 can Guinness and the sugar; turn heat to medium-high and cook until Guinness reduces by half, about 10 minutes.
Add the beef/Guinness stock, thyme, Worcestershire sauce, sherry, and bay leaves to the beef. Stir until blended, then bring everything to a boil and reduce the heat to medium low. Cover and let simmer for an hour, stirring occasionally.
Once the beef/stock mixture is simmering, chop the peeled potatoes into large chunks. Divide butter between the two large skillets and melt over medium heat. Sauté the vegetables in the butter for about 25 minutes, then reduce heat until stew has simmered the requisite one hour.
Add vegetables and let the stew simmer another 45 minutes, or until potatoes are tender. Add plenty of salt and pepper, taste, and add more thyme, sherry, or Worcestershire if desired.
This stew is best made a day ahead and re-heated on the stove. Bonus points if you have a crock pot!
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By Lauren McNally
Lauren B. McNally is a New York based consultant and freelance writer who spends most of her free time exploring culinary and oenological pursuits with friends. She originally hails from Maine and graduated from Bowdoin College,spending time abroad at the University of Cambridge in the UK (where she found the dining hall cuisine rather offensive and repulsive, as opposed to the top-ranked Bowdoin Dining Services). Her palate is ever-evolving but Burgundies are among her current obsessions. Her least favorite wine-related phrase: “I don’t like _.” Lauren also enjoys cooking Italian and French cuisine, and has an unnatural obsession with Gorgonzola and pancetta.
About The Humble Gourmand
The Humble Gourmand is published the first Friday of each month, edited by Alison L. McConnell, a Washington, D.C.-based journalist and writer. It is designed to offer straightforward lessons and advice to aspiring cooks, oenophiles, and all other eaters and drinkers.
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