St. Patrick’s Day is tomorrow, which means Irish soda bread and corned beef and cabbage is probably at the top of your mind. While they’re considered St. Patrick’s Day classics, a hearty, traditional Irish beef stew really makes the perfect dinner for celebrating the Irish holiday. Nothing gets more into the spirit of St. Patrick’s Day than an authentic stew made the same the Irish have been doing for centuries. Though Irish beef stew doesn’t require many steps to prepare, it boasts plenty of complex flavors. Comfort food at its finest, it’s filled with plenty of meat, potatoes, carrots and onions–pretty much everything you need for a healthy and enticing St. Patrick’s Day meal.
Of course, St. Patrick’s Day is also the perfect excuse to add a whole bottle of Guinness Extra Stout Beer to your stew. You may use any of your favorite beers, but dark beers work the best because of their robust flavor. The dark and malty Guinness tenderizes the beef and holds itself well among the strong combination of ingredients.
Irish Beef Stew
Yields: 4-6 servings
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time:2 hours
Ingredients
- 4 pounds of beef chuck or stew beef, cut into 1 and 1/2-inch cubes
- 1 bottle of Guinness Extra Stout Beer
- 3 tablespoons of tomato paste
- 1 package of Melissa’s Pearl Onions
- 5 large garlic cloves, minced
- 2 and 1/2 pounds of Russet potatoes, chopped into large chunks
- 3 medium carrots, chopped
- 3 bay leaves
- 4 cups of beef broth
- 2 cups of water
- 1 cup of oil
- 2 tablespoons of butter
- 1 tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon of sugar
- 1 tablespoon of dried thyme
- 4 teaspoons of salt
- 1 teaspoon of fresh ground pepper
1. Heat up some of the oil in a large pot and brown the beef cubes for about 5 minutes.
2. Add the minced garlic and stir around for about 1 minute.
3. Add the Guiness beer, tomato paste, beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, dried thyme, bay leaves, water, sugar. Bring the heat to a slow simmer for about an hour. Stir occasionally.
4. In a separate pot or pan, melt the butter over medium heat. Sauté the carrots and onions around about 10 to 15 minutes or until they’re a light golden.
5. After the beef stew has been simmering for an hour, add the potatoes, onions and carrots. Add the salt and pepper for seasoning.
6. Simmer for another 40 minutes or until the beef cubes are fork tender. Remove the bay leaves.
What will you be having for St. Patrick’s Day? What are your favorite Irish-inspired recipes to eat during this lucky holiday?