Description
This Irish Beef Stew is a rich, hearty one‑pot meal with tender beef chunks, root vegetables and a deep, malty‑dark broth infused with stout. It’s comfort food at its best.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 700 g (1.5 lb) stewing beef, cut into bite‑sized chunks
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 3‑4 sprigs fresh thyme (or 1 teaspoon dried thyme)
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 2 tablespoons all‑purpose flour
- 500 ml (2 cups) beef stock (or water), divided
- 440 ml (1 can) stout beer (e.g., Guinness)
- 1 bay leaf
- 4 medium carrots, peeled and cut into thick slices
- 4 medium waxy potatoes (red or Yukon Gold), peeled and quartered
- Fresh parsley, chopped (for garnish)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 160 °C (300 °F).
- In a large Dutch‑oven or heavy pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Season the beef with salt and pepper. Brown the beef in batches until all sides have a good sear. Remove the beef and set aside.
- In the same pot, reduce heat and add the chopped onion and thyme sprigs. Cook for ~8‑10 minutes until the onion softens. Add the minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
- Sprinkle the flour over the beef chunks and stir to coat evenly. Return the beef to the pot.
- Pour in half of the beef stock (1 cup), scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Add the stout beer and the bay leaf, bring to a boil.
- Cover the pot and transfer to the preheated oven. Cook for 1 hour.
- After 1 hour, remove from the oven and add the carrots and potatoes plus the remaining beef stock (1 cup). Stir, cover, and return to the oven for 1½ hours, or until the beef and vegetables are very tender.
- For the last 10 minutes, remove the lid to allow the sauce to thicken slightly. Discard the bay leaf and thyme sprigs. Sprinkle chopped fresh parsley over the stew before serving.
Notes
- You can swap the beef for lamb if you like a more traditional Irish-style stew.
- If you prefer to go alcohol‑free, replace the stout with extra beef stock or red wine.
- For a gluten‑free version, skip the flour and stir in a cornstarch slurry (e.g., 1 tablespoon cornstarch + 2 tablespoons water) near the end of cooking.
- This stew tastes even better the next day, so make ahead if possible.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 2 hours 30 minutes
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Oven‑braised
- Cuisine: Irish
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 of 6 servings
- Calories: ≈430
- Sugar: 4g
- Sodium: 550mg
- Fat: 22g
- Saturated Fat: 8g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 26g
- Fiber: 4g
- Protein: 32g
- Cholesterol: 95mg
