Time in the kitchen has been short and sweet these days. I’ve been focusing on making large amounts of one thing, and then eating it for days. It’s the price I pay for being overworked and underpaid. But I don’t mind. Especially if it’s this fabulous Guinness Stew. I’d like to say I came up with this all on my own. I’m quite surprised I didn’t actually, since it includes all the components of my beef stew, with the addition of some other yummy ingredients that I should have been adding to my beef stew all along (like parsnips!!). It’s from Cooking Light magazine, and it’s to die for.
This is not a quick stew. All told it took me about 4 hours to make. But the house smelled divine all day, and the end result (especially the day after) was a warm and wonderful, hearty stew filled with delish root veggies, raisins, caraway seeds, and best of all, Guinness. The whole meal rounds out nicely with a my Grandma Murphy’s Irish Soda Bread, and, well, more Guinness.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons canola oil, divided
- 1 tablespoon butter, divided
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 pounds boneless chuck roast, trimmed and cut into 1-inch cubes
- 1 teaspoon salt, divided
- 5 cups chopped onion (about 3 onions)
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 4 cups fat-free, less-sodium beef broth
- 1 (11.2-ounce) bottle Guinness Draught
- 1 tablespoon raisins
- 1 teaspoon caraway seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 1/2 cups (1/2-inch-thick) diagonal slices carrot (about 8 ounces)
- 1 1/2 cups (1/2-inch-thick) diagonal slices parsnip (about 8 ounces)
- 1 cup (1/2-inch) cubed peeled turnip (about 8 ounces)
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Preparation
1. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add 1 1/2 teaspoons butter to pan. Place flour in a shallow dish. Sprinkle beef with 1/2 teaspoon salt; dredge beef in flour. Add half of beef to pan; cook 5 minutes, turning to brown on all sides. Remove beef from pan with a slotted spoon. Repeat procedure with remaining 1 tablespoon oil, 1 1/2 teaspoons butter, and beef.
2. Add onion to pan; cook 5 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in tomato paste; cook 1 minute, stirring frequently. Stir in broth and beer, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Return meat to pan. Stir in remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, raisins, caraway seeds, and pepper; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Uncover and bring to a boil. Cook 50 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add carrot, parsnip, and turnip. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Uncover and bring to a boil; cook 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Sprinkle with parsley.
May the road rise up to meet you – feet first!
~ Gal Foodie