Tuesday, March 18, 2014

Irish Beef Stew


Yesterday was St. Patrick's Day, and though I am not Irish, I love getting on board and celebrating the holidays!  As always, one of the best ways to connect with these special times of year is through food!  To be honest, I had forgotten all about it being St. Paddy's Day, and I didn't buy anything special, so I went to pantry to see what sort of Irish delights I had on hand. To my surprise I had everything I needed to whip up a lovely Irish Beef Stew!

Now beef stew can be a little time consuming, but is it oh so worth it!  My husband told me this was the best stew I have ever made so I better put this down on paper for you before I forget what I did!  *lol*  Here it is...

Irish Beef Stew:
*Prep Time:  15 minutes  *Cook Time:  2 hours  *Difficulty:  Easy  *Servings:  4-6

Ingredients:





  • 1 lb. chuck roast, cubed
  • 4 large potatoes, diced
  • 4 carrots, peeled and chopped
  • 1 lg. onion chopped
  • 3 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 1 12 oz. bottle of Guinness (Or any dark beer)
  • 6 c. water
  • 1/4 c. flour
  • 1/4 c. brown sugar
  • 2 tbsp. canola oil
  • 4 tsp. beef bouillon  
  • 1 tsp. oregano
  • 1 tsp. thyme
  • Salt and pepper to taste

  • 


    
    Tools:
    • Dutch Oven
    • Wooden Spoon
    • Chef's Knife
    • Measuring spoons
    • Measuring cups
    • dish for flour
    Let's Get Started!

    To begin, I like to rinse my cubed chuck.


    Next, you need will need to pat the chuck dry. 
    This step is very important for many reasons, but mainly because cold water and hot oil DO NOT mix! 


    Now you will want to place your flour on a dish and season it with salt and pepper.


    Add the chuck to the flour and coat.


    Take each piece of meat and pat the excess flour off.


    Place the chuck into a HOT Dutch oven with 2-3 tbsp. of oil.
    Let brown for 2-3 minutes on each side.
    You are not cooking the meat all the way through here, you are just creating some great flavor in the pot.


    Keep browning the chuck in small batches.  When you are finished you will want to set the meat aside on a plate.  I used the same plate that I did the flouring on because I am not a fan of doing dishes.  Is anyone really? 


    Now you will want to toss the chopped onion into the hot Dutch oven.


    I like to add a couple tbsps. of butter here as well.
    Cook the onions until they are soft and translucent.


    When the onions are soft and translucent, add the garlic.


    The moment you smell your garlic in the pot, you will want to add the Guinness. 
    Now, Guinness is one of the two ingredients that make this an IRISH beef stew. 
    If you would rather not use it, just substitute with water.


    After you have poured the Guinness into the hot Dutch Oven, use your spoon
    to scrap up all those flavorful bits on the bottom. 


    Now you will want to add 4 c. of water.
    Remember, if you omitted the Guinness you will need to add 2 extra cups.


    Next up, the beef bouillon.
    If you omitted the Guinness, add two extra tsps. 


    Add Oregano...


    Thyme...


    And brown sugar.
    This is the second ingredient that makes this a traditional Irish Stew.
    Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper accordingly.


    Return the chuck to the pot...


    Bring to a simmer...


    Cover and cook for 1 and a half hours.


    While the meat is cooking, take this time to prep your potatoes and carrots.


    After an hour and a half, your broth has reduced and thickened. 
    All of those great seasonings have come together and intensified, the flavor is out of this world!


    Now you will add the potatoes and carrots to the pot...


    Add two cups of water...


    Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook for another 30 minutes.


    There you have it, bold, rich, And hearty Irish beef stew!  This seriously was one of the best stews I have ever eaten.  I can easily see it becoming a family classic.  Try it out this weekend and as always...

    Happy Reading, Happy Eating, and Happy Living,

    ~The Kitchen Wife~


    
    Irish Beef Stew:
    *Pre-Time:  15 minutes  *Cook-Time:  2 hours  *Difficulty:  Easy  *Servings:  4-6
    Ingredients:
    • 1 lb. chuck roast, cubed
    • 4 large potatoes, diced
    • 4 carrots, peeled and chopped
    • 1 lg. onion chopped
    • 3 cloves of garlic, minced
    • 1 12 oz. bottle of Guinness (Or any dark beer)
    • 6 c. water
    • 1/4 c. flour
    • 1/4 c. brown sugar
    • 2 tbsp. canola oil
    • 4 tsp. beef bouillon  
    • 1 tsp. oregano
    • 1 tsp. thyme
    • Salt and pepper to taste
    Tools:
    • Dutch Oven
    • Wooden Spoon
    • Chef's Knife
    • Measuring spoons
    • Measuring cups
    • dish for flour
    Directions:
    1. Rinse chuck roast and pat dry.
    2. Add flour to a dish.
    3. Season the flour with salt and pepper.
    4. Place cubes of chuck in the flour coat.
    5. Pat each cube of meat to remove excess flour.
    6. In a hot Dutch oven, add oil.
    7. Place the floured chuck in the Dutch oven in small batches to let brown.
    8. When all of the chuck is browned, place on plate and set aside.
    9. Add chopped onion to the hot Dutch oven.
    10. Allow onions to cook until soft and translucent.
    11. Add garlic.
    12. When you can smell the garlic, it is time to add the Guinness. 
    13. Use wooden spoon to scrap the dark bits off the bottom of the Dutch oven.
    14. Add 4 cups of water to the Dutch oven.
    15. Add the 4 tsp. of beef bouillon. 
    16. Add brown sugar.
    17. Add oregano and thyme.
    18. Stir and taste for seasoning.
    19. Add salt and pepper.
    20. Return meat to pot, bring to a simmer, cover, and let cook to 1.5 hours.
    21. While the chuck simmers, wash and dice the potatoes.
    22. Peel and chop carrots.
    23. After 1.5 hours add the potatoes and carrots to the Dutch oven with 2 c. water.
    24. Stir, bring to a simmer, cover, and let cook 30 more minutes. 
    25. Serve and enjoy!



    


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