Stews are very well-received in my family. I was contemplating what to cook for dinner today. I knew I didn’t want to cook anything Asian. So I thought, maybe a pasta. But the LAM wanted a stew, so a stew it was!

If you want flavor, Guinness stout is your answer.

A distinctive feature of Guinness stout is the burnt flavor that is derived from roasted unmalted barley. When added to a stew, it imparts an earthy flavor and adds layers of flavor to the stew.

Everyone had two helpings each – it was a good thing I made loads – and the LAM had three, I think. 😀

I can’t really blame them for vacuuming all the food, since it was a darn tasty stew! 

I love using my Le Creuset 27cm Oval French Oven to cook stews. Like I said, stews are always demolished by everyone at home so I always need to make sure I make more, and the oval French oven is big enough to allow me to do that.

Apart from how well cast iron pots retain heat, and therefore promote even cooking, cast iron pots last a very, very long time. A good pot is a worthwhile investment – before being introduced to Le Creuset cast iron pots, I used to buy pots that were cheaper. I found that I had to replace my pots (rather) frequently because they are just not built to last. So when I sat down to do the Math, investing, say, $500, in a pot that lasts a life-time (or more), is equivalent to buying about 5-6 pots of lower quality, which I had already used and thrown out anyway. So, really, it didn’t make sense to throw away smaller quantities of money that accumulate over time, especially when one can buy a better quality pot that improves with usage with the same amount of money!

So if you’d like to cook this really really delicious stew, here are the instructions,

In a bowl, season the beef with salt, pepper and coat with a little flour. This helps to dry the surface of the meat and promotes better browning.

In batches, brown the beef in a casserole with some olive oil. You are not cooking the meat, just browning the the surface.

Transfer the meat into a bowl, and set aside.

When all the meat has been browned, add a little more olive oil into the casserole. Saute the onion and garlic for a minute to soften the onion.

Add the celery and carrots, and stir to combine.

Add the mushrooms and stir. Cook this for about 2-3 minutes.

Pour the Guinness into the stew. 

Using your spatula, gently scrape the bottom of the pan to release the black bits – these are bits of flavor. This also makes cleaning very easy!

Add the beef stock and bring the liquid to a boil.

Return the beef into the casserole.

Add the herbs – rosemary, thyme and bay leaves. Also add coarsely ground black pepper. 

Once everything has been stirred together, lower the heat to a simmer, cover the casserole, and allow this to cook for about 1.5 hours. Stir occasionally – you may need to add water during the cooking process, so keep an eye on the stew. 

During the last 20 minutes of cooking, add the potatoes. 

When the meat and vegetables are soft, season with salt (if needed) and thicken the gravy with a corn starch slurry (mix together corn starch and water). Top with chopped Italian flat-leaf parsely.

Serve with rice, or pasta, or a loaf of crusty bread.

 Enjoy!

Guinness Beef Stew

2015-07-21 07:01:30

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Ingredients

1. 500g stewing beef - I used chuck
2. 1 onion, cut into wedges
3. 5 cloves garlic, crushed
4. 5 sticks celery, cut into bite-sized pieces
5. 5 baby carrots, cut into bite-sized pieces
6. 3 potatoes, cut into bite-sized pieces - I used Russet Burbank
7. 1 can (about 250ml) Guinness Stout
8. 1 cup low-sodium beef stock (or use 50% water and 50% beef stock)
9. 2 teaspoons dried thyme
10. 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
11. 2-3 bay leaves
12. Salt, to taste
13. Black pepper, to taste
14. 2 teaspoons corn starch
15. 2-3 teaspoons water
16. Italian flat-leaf parsley, chopped (optional)

Instructions

1. In a bowl, season the beef with salt, pepper and coat with a little flour. This helps to dry the surface of the meat and better browning.
2. In batches, brown the beef in a casserole with some olive oil. You are not cooking the meat, just browning the the surface.
3. Transfer the meat into a bowl, and set aside.
4. When all the meat has been browned, add a little more olive oil into the casserole. Saute the onion and garlic for a minute to soften the onion.
5. Add the celery and carrots, and stir to combine.
6. Add the mushrooms and stir. Cook this for about 2-3 minutes.
7. Pour the Guinness stout into the stew.
8. Using your spatula, gently scrape the bottom of the pan to release the black bits – these are bits of flavor. This also makes cleaning very easy!
9. Add the beef stock and bring the liquid to a boil.
10. Return the beef into the casserole.
11. Add the herbs – rosemary, thyme and bay leaves. Also add coarsely ground black pepper.
12. Once everything has been stirred together, lower the heat to a simmer, cover the casserole, and allow this to cook for about 1.5 hours. Stir occasionally – you may need to add water during the cooking process, so keep an eye on the stew.
13. During the last 20 minutes of cooking, add the potatoes.
14. When the meat and vegetables are soft, season with salt (if needed) and thicken the gravy with a corn starch slurry (mix together corn starch and water). Top with chopped Italian flat-leaf parsely.
15. Serve with rice, or pasta, or a loaf of crusty bread.

The Domestic Goddess Wannabe http://thedomesticgoddesswannabe.com/

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