Description

This Beef and Guinness Stew is the epitome of comfort food! I love the rich, savory flavors and the tender, melt-in-your-mouth beef. It’s a hearty and deeply satisfying dish.

Ingredients

Scale

4 slices bacon, cut into small pieces
2 ½ pounds boneless beef chuck, cut into 2-inch pieces
1 ½ teaspoons salt, divided, or more to taste
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 onions, coarsely chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 (14.9 ounce) can dark beer (such as Guinness)
¼ cup tomato paste
3 carrots, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 ribs celery, cut into 1-inch pieces
4 sprigs fresh thyme
1 teaspoon white sugar
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
2 ½ cups chicken stock, or as needed to cover
4 cups mashed potatoes (Optional)

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Instructions

1. Cook the Bacon:

Gather all ingredients.

Cook and stir the bacon in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat until the bacon is browned and crisp, 3 to 4 minutes.

Turn off the heat and transfer the bacon pieces into a large stew pot or Dutch oven, reserving the bacon fat in the skillet.

2. Season and Sear the Beef:

Season the beef chuck cubes generously with 1 teaspoon of salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

Turn the heat to high under the skillet with the bacon fat. Sear the beef pieces in the hot fat on both sides until browned, about 5 minutes per side. Work in batches if necessary to avoid overcrowding the pan.

Place the seared beef in the stew pot with the bacon, leaving the fat in the skillet.

3. Sauté the Onions:

Turn the heat down to medium. Cook and stir the onions in the retained fat in the skillet until lightly browned, 5 to 8 minutes. Season with a large pinch of salt.

4. Add Garlic and Deglaze:

Cook the garlic with the onions until soft, about 1 minute.

Pour the beer into the skillet. Stir with a wooden spoon, scraping up and dissolving any browned bits of food (fond) from the bottom of the skillet. This adds a lot of flavor to the stew.

5. Combine Ingredients in Stew Pot:

Pour the cooking liquid from the skillet into the stew pot with the beef and bacon.

Stir in the tomato paste, carrots, celery, thyme sprigs, sugar, ½ teaspoon black pepper, and enough chicken broth to cover the ingredients.

6. Simmer the Stew:

Bring the stew to a gentle simmer, stirring to combine.

Reduce the heat to low and cover the pot.

Simmer the stew until the beef is fork-tender, about 2 hours. Stir the stew occasionally and skim off any fat or foam that rises to the surface, if desired.

7. Reduce and Thicken (Optional):

Remove the cover and raise the heat to medium-high.

Bring the stew to a low boil and cook until the stew has slightly thickened, 15 to 20 minutes.

8. Finish and Serve:

Remove and discard the thyme sprigs. Adjust salt and pepper to taste.

If desired, arrange mashed potatoes in a ring in a serving bowl. Ladle the stew into the center of the potatoes.

Enjoy your rich and flavorful Beef and Guinness Stew!