St. Patricks Day always conjures up an image of standing in a cold wind watching the parade (or when I was younger, participating in the parade) having fun, meeting lots of people but eventually being driven home by a need to warm up. This Beef and Guinness Stew is the perfect warming,hearty and tasty antidote to the cold! The addition of guinness to a traditional beef stew add a rich depth of flavour and savouriness that is irresistible. I hope you love it as much as I do. 

Beef & Guinness Stew

(Serves 4)

Ingredients:

500g Shin Beef, trimmed & cut into large bite size pieces or Stewing Beef

1 carrot cut into chunky slices

1 onion, chopped

1 stick of celery, cut into chunks

1 tablespoon Tomato Puree

2 Bay Leaves

A few black peppercorns

500ml Beef Stock

1 Can of Guinness (500ml)

1 tablespoon flour

Rapeseed Oil

Optional: Fry some button mushrooms until golden and cooked through in a mix of oil and butter and add to the stew at the end of it’s cooking time.

Method:

When you are ready to cook the beef, heat the oil in a large pot over a fairly high heat. Brown the beef on both sides and then remove to a plate

Reduce the heat and add the veg with a little salt

Cover and cook for 5-10 mins or until the veg has softened

Stir the tomato puree and flour in and cook out for a minute or two

Put the beef back into the casserole and add the stock and Guinness with the bay leaf

Cover and simmer for 2 and a half to 3 hours or you can put in the oven at 180˚C , 160˚C Fan, Gas mark 4

When the beef is so tender it is almost falling apart, it is ready. 

Turn it into a pie by topping with puff pastry!