Ingredients:
- 2 pounds lean stewing beef
- 3 T. oil
- 2 T. flour
- Salt and freshly ground pepper and a pinch of cayenne
- 2 large onions, coarsley chopped
- 1 large clove garlic, crushed (optional)
- 2 T. tomato puree, dissolved in 4 T. water
- 1 1/4c. Guinness stout beer
- 2 c. carrots, cut into chunks
- Sprig of thyme
Directions:
- Trim the meat of any fat or gristie, cut into cubes of 2 inches and toss them in a bowl with 1 tablespoon oil. Season the flour with salt, freshly ground pepper and a pinch of cayenne. Toss the mixture.
- Heat the remaining oil in a wide frying pan over a high heat. Brown the meat on all sides. Add the onions, crushed garlic and tomato puree to the pan, cover and cook gently for about 5 minutes.
- Transfer the contents of the pan to a casserole, and pour some of the Guinness into the frying pan. Bring to a boil and stir to dissolve the carmelized meat juices on the pan.
- Pour onto the meat with the remaining Guinness; add the carrots and thyme. Stir, taste, and add a little more salt if necessary.
- Cover with the lid of the casserole and simmer very gently until the meat is tender – 2 to 3 hours. The stew may be cooked on top of the stove or in a low oven at 300 degrees F. Taste and correct the seasoning. Scatter with lots of chopped parsley.
Yield: 6 to 8 servings
Credits: Recipe from The Complete Book of Irish Country Cooking by Darina Allen (Penguin USA).
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