Guinness is a dark, dry Irish stout. It has a slightly bitter taste from toasted malt, which nicely compliments a fatty cut of beef like a chuck roast. Guinness Beef Stew is cooked low and slow to tenderize the meat and develop a rich and satisfying gravy. The stew has Yukon gold potatoes and carrots. Add some peas at the last minute, they just need to heat through, and you have a delicious and satisfying one-dish meal!
I prefer to buy the chuck roast and trim and cut to size myself. I find pre-packaged beef stew pieces to be too small. There’s a bit of fat that’s pretty easy to remove, just follow the natural lines of the meat and cut the trimmed roast into 2-inch cubes.
I also like bigger pieces of carrot and potato in the stew. They don’t overcook and get mushy and the carrots sliced lengthwise on an angle make a nice presentation.
No need to brown the meat. I have found that this process of browning the meat first can be messy and time consuming and I don’t find that it makes any difference to the end dish. I use my go to More Than Gourmet demi-glace as the base for the sauce, with a dab of tomato paste for added flavor. Penzey’s bouquet garni herb mix gives much more flavor than a traditional bouquet garni (bay leaf, a few thyme sprigs, parsley stems and black pepper corns) and is much more convenient.
My slow cooker has a removable insert, which allows me to prepare everything on the stovetop and then place it back in the cooker on low for 6 – 7 hours. The recipe can also be made on the stovetop and I’ve included those directions as well.
If at all possible, make this recipe the day before. Chilling overnight and removing the fat makes for a less greasy dish and the flavors of the stew are always best the next day.
PUTTING IT TOGETHER
Heat the oil over medium heat in a 7-quart Dutch oven or a removeable slow-cooker insert.
Stir in the onion and celery, cover and sweat for 5 minutes, stirring twice. Lower the heat a little if the onion is browning.
Uncover and add the garlic. Stir for 30 seconds, then mix in the tomato paste. Cook, stirring constantly for another 30 seconds.
Sprinkle the flour, bouquet garni, salt, and pepper over the vegetables and stir to combine until no lumps remain.
Slowly add the beer stirring constantly to incorporate the flour into the liquid, then add the stock or demi-glace.
Add the beef, potatoes and carrots; stir to mix well to cover everything.
Tuck the vegetables under the meat. They take a little longer to cook at this size and it’s best if they are buried in the liquid. Don’t be alarmed at the small amount of liquid. The meat and vegetables quickly release their own juices into the pot. Adding too much liquid in the beginning only dilutes the gravy flavor.
Stovetop Method:
Bring to a boil. Immediately lower the heat to a very gentle simmer, barely a bubble, cover and cook for 1 1/2 hours or until the beef and vegetables are tender. The optimum braising temperature is 180 degrees F.
Slow Cooker Method
Bring to a boil. Cover and place the insert in the slow cooker or transfer the stew from the prep pot to the slow cooker. Set on low and cook for 6 hours or until beef and vegetables are tender.
Cool and refrigerate the stew. Next day, remove the fat that hardened on top and reheat. Add the peas and cook for another 3-4 minutes.
Stew freezes well.
PrintGuinness Beef Stew
Enjoy this Guinness Beef Stew made with chuck roast, potatoes, carrots, and peas in a rich, thick beefy gravy. It’s a one-dish meal!
- Prep Time: 45 minutes
- Cook Time: 6 hours
- Total Time: 6 hours 45 minutes
- Yield: 6 to 8 servings
- Category: Beef
- Method: Stewing
Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, diced
2 outer stalks celery, diced
4 – 6 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon bouquet garni herb blend
1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
1 bottle (12 ounces) Guinness beer
1 cup classic reduced beef stock or French demi-glace or 1 cup good quality beef or veal stock
4 pounds beef chuck roast, trimmed of excess fat and cut into 2-inch cubes, OR 3 pounds beef stew meat
6 Yukon gold potatoes cut into 8 chunks
6 large carrots cut lengthwise on and angle (3-4 pieces per carrot)
1 cup peas, fresh or frozen
Instructions
Heat the oil over medium heat in a 7-quart Dutch oven or a removeable slow-cooker insert.
Stir in the onion and celery, cover and sweat for 5 minutes, stirring twice. Lower the heat a little if the onion is browning.
Uncover and add the garlic. Stir for 30 seconds, then mix in the tomato paste. Cook, stirring constantly for another 30 seconds.
Sprinkle the flour, bouquet garni, salt, and pepper over the vegetables and stir to combine until no lumps remain.
Slowly add the beer stirring constantly to incorporate the flour into the liquid, then add the stock or demi-glace.
Add the beef, potatoes and carrots; stir to mix well to cover everything. Tuck the vegetables under the meat. They take a little longer to cook at this size and it’s best if they are buried in the liquid. Don’t be alarmed at the small amount of liquid. The meat and vegetables quickly release their own juices into the pot. Adding too much liquid in the beginning only dilutes the gravy flavor.
Stovetop Method:
Bring to a boil. Immediately lower the heat to a very gentle simmer, barely a bubble, cover and cook for 1 1/2 hours or until the beef and vegetables are tender. The optimum braising temperature is 180 degrees F.
Slow Cooker Method
Bring to a boil. Cover and place the insert in the slow cooker or transfer the stew from the prep pot to the slow cooker. Set on low and cook for 6 hours or until beef and vegetables are tender.
Cool and refrigerate the stew. Next day, remove the fat that hardened on top and reheat. Add the peas and cook for another 3-4 minutes.
Notes
Stew freezes well.
Keywords: beef, potatoes, carrots, peas, chuck roast, stew, braise, beer and beef stew, slow cooking
