I got the marvelous opportunity of hosting a Galentines Day party with my girls. Included on the menu were scones, muffins, bread, cookies, fondue, and of course: Guiness Beef Stew with Irish Soda Bread. This has always been one of my favorite meals, and it was a delight to try making it for the first time – with some help from my wonderful mother. My father was skeptical of me being able to make all of the food for the party, and it was a bit chaotic but it turned out to be delightfully fun. This stew has wine and beer which off-puts some people when they hear it has alcohol. However, the alcohol gets stewed (I’m not sure that’s a word, but I’m going with it) out and it leaves behind a marvelous flavor.
With plenty of vegetables, and tender meat, this stew feels like it should be eaten after swooping in from a long journey and the weather is brisk outside. You sit down with a warm bowl of Guinness Beef Stew in your hands and a steaming mug of hot apple cider on the table. While spooning the stew into your mouth, you watch the snow fall outside and breathe a sigh of relief at having finished your journey before the storm rolled in. Pulling at the sleeves of your jacket, you hang it on the back of your chair and dig into the stew, fazed with hunger but delighted at the marvelous taste. Reaching for the butter, you smear a generous amount onto the Irish Soda Bread and moan with satisfaction as the soft raisins and crisp caraway seeds hit your pallet. You leave the dishes for the landlady and fall into bed with a moan of relief after a hard journey and a good meal.
. . . . pardon my impromptu story, but that’s what I imagine while eating this stew (:
This recipe makes roughly 12 servings and 2 loaves of Irish Soda Bread. There are usually delicious leftovers, and the bread is always delectable even after being frozen for preservation. So without further ado, I present to you: Guinness Beef Stew!
GUINNESS BEEF STEW
INGREDIENTS:
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 lbs beef chunk roast or stew meat, cut into 1” pieces
- 6 garlic cloves, minced
- 6 cups beef stock
- 1 1/2 cups Guinness or other stout/porter
- 1 cup red wine
- 2 TB tomato paste
- 1 TB sugar
- 1 TB dried thyme
- 1 TB Worcestershire sauce
- 2 Bay leaves
- 3 TB butter
- 2 lbs parsnips, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
- 3 cups carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
- 3 cups sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2 pieces
- 1 onion, chopped
- Salt and Pepper to taste (start with 1.5 tsp salt and 1 tsp pepper)
- Chopped Parsley to garnish
DIRECTIONS:
- Brown beef in oil over medium-high, working in batches. Add salt and pepper while cooking. Don’t overcrowd. Transfer beef to crock pot. Add garlic, cooking for 1 minute. Add stock, Guinness, wine, tomato paste, and sugar – bay leaves. Bring to a boil and transfer to crock pot. Set a timer on high for 4 hours or low for 8.
- Melt butter in another pot and add parsnips, carrots, sweet potatoes, and onions. Saute until golden, about 20 minutes. Set aside until stew has 2 hours left to cook, then add to crock pot.
- Salt and pepper to taste and garnish with parsley. Serve with green salad and Irish Soda Bread.
IRISH SODA BREAD
Makes 2 loaves
INGREDIENTS:
- 5 cups AP flour
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 /12 tsp salt
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 stick butter
- 2 1/2 cups mixed light and dark raisins – soaked 15-20 minutes and drained (I use 2 cups dark raisins)
- 3 TB Caraway seeds
- 2 1/2 cups buttermilk
- 1 egg, slightly beaten
- Turbinado sugar, for sprinkling on top (optional)
DIRECTIONS:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Generously butter 2 bread pans
- Stir together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and baking soda. Cut in butter and mix thoroughly with your hands until it gets grainy. Stir in drained raisins and caraway seeds.
- Add buttermilk and egg to flour mixture; stir until well moistened. The dough should resemble a thick cake batter.
- Equally, fill 2 bread pans. Sprinkle tops with turbinado sugar (optional)
- Bake 60-70 minutes. Test with toothpick. Cool in pans 3-5 minutes. Transfer to wire rack to cool. (If needed, cover bread with tinfoil halfway through to prevent tops from gettting too browned.)
