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Hearty Irish Beef Stew

Hearty Irish Beef Stew

Hearty Irish Beef Stew is a warm, satisfying dish featuring tender beef and root vegetables simmered in a rich broth with Irish stout and aromatic herbs. This timeless recipe combines history, tradition, and flavor into a comforting meal perfect for any occasion.
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Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 50 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 15 minutes
Servings 6

Ingredients
  

  • 1 1/4 pounds chuck beef stew meat well-marbled and cut into 1 1/2-inch chunks
  • 3 teaspoons salt or adjusted to taste
  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 6 cloves garlic minced
  • 4 cups beef stock
  • 2 cups water
  • 1 cup Guinness Extra Stout
  • 1 cup full-bodied red wine
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
  • 1 tablespoon dried thyme
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 3 pounds russet potatoes peeled and diced into 1/2-inch pieces (yields about 7 cups)
  • 1 large onion chopped (about 1 1/2 to 2 cups)
  • 3 to 4 carrots or parsnips cut into 1/2-inch pieces (approximately 2 cups)
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley for garnish

Instructions
 

Brown the beef:

  • Sprinkle about one teaspoon of salt evenly over the beef pieces. Heat the olive oil in a large (6 to 8 quart), heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Pat the beef dry with paper towels. Working in batches to avoid overcrowding—since crowding causes steaming instead of browning—add the beef to the pot. Cook without stirring until the meat is well browned on one side, then use tongs to turn the pieces and brown on another side.

Add garlic and stock ingredients, then simmer:

  • Add the minced garlic to the pot with the browned beef and sauté for about 30 seconds or until fragrant. Pour in the beef stock, water, Guinness, red wine, tomato paste, sugar, dried thyme, Worcestershire sauce, and bay leaves. Stir everything together well. Bring the mixture to a simmer, then reduce the heat to the lowest setting. Cover and cook at a gentle simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.

Sauté onions and carrots in a separate pan:

  • While the beef and stock are simmering, melt the butter in another pot over medium heat. Add the chopped onions and carrots and sauté until the onions turn golden, about 15 minutes. Set the sautéed vegetables aside until the beef has simmered for one hour.

Add vegetables to the stew and continue simmering:

  • After the hour of simmering, add the sautéed onions and carrots along with the diced potatoes to the beef stew. Season with black pepper and two teaspoons of salt. Continue to simmer the stew uncovered until both the vegetables and beef are very tender, about 40 minutes. Remove and discard the bay leaves. Tilt the pot and spoon off any excess fat from the surface.

Serve:

  • Ladle the stew into serving bowls. Adjust salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with chopped fresh parsley and enjoy.