Kiss me, I’m Irish, … sort of (with this recipe for beef and Guinness stew)

Top ‘O’ the Mornin’ to ya Carnivores!! And HAPPY ST. PATRICK’S DAY !!

In honour of my beautiful wife and partner in crime Kelly (I just call her ‘Andy’ ’cause her Maiden name is Anderson) I present to you my take on an old Irish favourite:

Here is a great recipe for Beef and Guinness stew.

Now, … let’s start with the Beef. You can use anything for this recipe (the choice is yours Blade, Inside or Outside Round even Sirloin) but, today I’m using some nice Inside round.

This particular cut comes from the ‘Inside’ portion of the hind leg and is considered a medium hard-working muscle. It’s main job is mobility or motion and therefore lends itself well to braising recipes calling for low and slow cooking. It’s dense and can be well marbled.

Buy 2 pounds of Inside round steaks 1 inch thick, then cut into strips and cube the strips 1 inch by 1 inch. Here’s the rest of the ingredients:

•3 Tablespoons oil
•2 Tablespoons flour
•Salt and freshly ground pepper and a pinch of cayenne (you can leave this out if you don’t want to jack it up too much)
•2 large onions, coarsely chopped
•1 large clove garlic, crushed
•2 Tablespoons tomato paste, dissolved in 4 tablespoons water
•1-1/4 cups Guinness stout beer
•2 cups carrots, cut into chunks
•Sprig of thyme

Some recipes call for Potatoes also, for this one I’ve left them out … the choice is yours.

Preparation:

Toss the cubed beef round in a bowl with 1 tablespoon oil. Season the flour with salt, freshly ground pepper and a pinch or two of cayenne (if you dare). Mix and coat the meat.

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 paste (and water) to the pan, cover and cook gently for about 5 minutes.

Transfer the contents of the pan to a casserole or slow cooker, and pour some of the Guinness into the frying pan. Bring to a boil and stir to dissolve the caramelized meat juices on the pan.

Pour onto the meat with the remaining Guinness; add the carrots and the thyme. Stir, taste, and add a little more salt if necessary.

Cover with the lid 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. but my favourite way is the slow cooker … just set it and forget it for 4-5 hours on low. Taste and correct the seasoning. Scatter with lots of chopped parsley.

Serve it up to your Irish Honey with some fresh-baked bread and un-salted butter.

Enjoy my Irish and not-so Irish Carnivores and, … stay hungry.

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