Guinness Beef Stew

With St. Patrick’s Day coming up what better way to celebrate than with a little Irish Guinness beef stew. Pure comfort! The longer it cooks the richer it gets and the beef just gets more tender and melts in your mouth. It will keep up to a week in the fridge or in the freezer for up to a month.

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 small yellow onion, peeled and small diced
• 3 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
• 1 cup celery, small diced
•  1 1/4 cup carrots, peeled and large diced
• 1 lb. Yukon potatoes, quartered
• 2 lb. beef stew meat
• 1 can Guinness beer
• 2 1/2 cups beef stock (homemade or unsalted)
• 1 tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped
• 1 tsp. fresh thyme, minced
• 3 bay leaves
• 2 tbsp. flour
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions

In a large Dutch oven or sauce pan over medium heat add the olive oil, season the beef with salt and pepper and in batches start browning the meat. Until it’s all brown remove the meat and set aside on a plate. Add the onions, garlic, celery, carrots and start cooking until they get a little brown. Add the beer and deglaze the pan, scraping up the bottom. Add the potatoes back in along with the beef, stock, and herbs. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat to simmer. Let it cook for about 1 1/2 hours just until everything is tender.  In a small bowl add the flour and 4 tbsp of the sauce, whisk together until it makes a slurry. Stir it back into the stew until the smooth and thickened. Your house will smell amazing, and you’re going to want to invite friends over! Serve with crusty hot bread!!