Guinness Stew

Guinness Stew is the perfect hearty winter stew: A splash of dark stout makes the sauce rich and flavorful, perfect for tender chunks of beef and vegetables.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American, Irish

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 2 25

Total Time 2 45

Servings servings (1 cup each)

Calories 321kcal

Author Meggan Hill

Ingredients

6 slices bacon thick cut, chopped
2 pounds boneless beef chuck roast cut against the grain into 1-inch pieces (see note 1)
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 large onion peeled and chopped
5 medium red potatoes chopped (see note 2)
3 large carrots peeled and chopped
3 celery ribs chopped
3 cloves garlic minced
16 ounces Guinness Extra Stout (see note 3)
2 cups beef broth (see note 4)
4 tablespoons tomato paste (1/4 cup)
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried
2 bay leaves
1 cup frozen peas thawed
Mashed potatoes or Colcannon for serving (see note 5)

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

In a Dutch oven over medium heat, fry bacon until crisp. Remove bacon from pot and reserve rendered bacon fat. Meanwhile, pat beef dry with paper towel, season generously with salt, and toss with flour to coat.
Working in batches as necessary to prevent over-crowding, fry beef in reserved bacon fat until well-browned on each side, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate and repeat with remaining beef.
To the now empty pot, add onions and cook until softened and lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add potatoes, carrots, and celery and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Add the Guinness and bring to boil, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Boil for 2 minutes.
To the pot add browned beef, chopped bacon, beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, tomato paste, thyme, and bay leaves. Bring to boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer 2 hours or until the beef is tender and the vegetables are cooked through.
Stir in peas. Remove bay leaves and season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve with mashed potatoes.

Notes

Beef roast: An inexpensive cut like chuck roast has a lot of fat, an asset here. The long cooking time means that fat breaks down into meltingly tender chunks of beef and a rich, full-bodied sauce. Names can vary, so look for any of these beef cuts: boneless beef chuck roast, chuck pot roast, chuck shoulder, bottom eye, round roast, rump roast, top round, round tip roast, English roast, or pot roast.
Red potatoes: Small red potatoes have thin skins and a buttery, tender interior. You can use white skin potatoes, fingerling potatoes, any color of baby potatoes, and even russet or baking potatoes (as long as they’re cut up into bite-sized pieces).
Guinness Extra Stout: I prefer this hoppy stout, although any dark beer will do.
Beef broth: I use refrigerated beef base to make broth. Similar to bullion cubes, beef base is highly concentrated beef stock. You can find it in powder or paste forms. I love “Better than Bouillon” brand, a paste which is widely available and tastes delicious.
Mashed potatoes: Guinness Stew is delightful served over a big bed of warm mashed potatoes to soak up every last drop of the sauce. If desired, you could pair it with warm, crusty bread or just enjoy as-is; this stew is a hearty meal itself.
Yield: This Guinness Beef Stew recipe makes 10 hearty servings.
Storage: Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

Nutrition