Guinness Stew

The origins of Irish stew are somewhat shrouded in mystery, but it’s believed to have originated in the 17th or 18th century. At that time, the dish was often made by shepherds and rural farmers who had access to only a few ingredients but needed a nourishing meal to sustain them through long days of work. Guinness stew is a variation of the traditional Irish stew, and is found in most pubs around the Emerald Isle. The only real difference between the two dishes is the addition of Guinness Stout. Stewing the beef in Guinness stout beer tenderizes the beef and adds a robust, malty flavor to the stew.

Stewing is an ancient method of slow cooking meats that has been used throughout the world.  Traditional Irish stews also known in Gaelic as ballymaloe or stobhach gaelach.  These stews were traditionally made with the cheapest and most readily-available ingredients using mutton (less tender sheep over two years of age) or lamb meat (neckbones or shanks) and root vegetables such as potatoes and onions with water.  As with any good recipe, there are many variations, depending on where you are. In the southern regions of Ireland, barley is added as well. Today, both stews are made with beef as well as lamb or mutton, but traditionally they were made with lamb or mutton. In the US, beef is used more often than lamb.

Guinness stew was one of my menu items for my Irish Shindig. My Irish Shindig Being American, with a lot of Irish roots, I made it with beef, instead of lamb, though we do eat a lot of lamb too. In fact, I have some lamb down that I will be cooking sometimes this week.

Guinness Stew

2-3 lbs beef or lamb cubed

flour to coat the meat

oil for cooking

salt & pepper to taste

1 onion, diced medium

3 carrots

3 parsnips

2 cups mushrooms, quartered

1 TBSP garlic

2-3 bay leaves

4-5 sprigs fresh thyme

2-3 sprigs of fresh rosemary, chopped

1 can of Guinness stout

2 cups beef broth

1 TBSP Dijon mustard

1 TBSP tomato paste

1 TBSP Worcestershire sauce

1-1 1/2 lbs red potatoes, quartered

1 cup pearl onions, skins removed

Coat the cubed meat in flour and salt & pepper. Get a large soup pot very hot, then add the oil and the coated meat. Cook until the meat is browned, for about 5-7 minutes, stirring frequently. Once the meat is thoroughly browned, remove it from the heat and set aside for later.

Add the vegetables into the pot, adding more oil if necessary. Cook for about 8-10 minutes, or until the vegetables have softened.

Combine the Guinness beer, beef stock, garlic, thyme, bay leaves, mustard, tomato paste and Worcestershire sauce, then add to the vegetables, and and bring to a boil.

Re-add the meat, cover and reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook for about 1 1/2 hours, stirring frequently.

Add the potatoes and the pearl onions and continue to cook for an additional 30 minutes or so, stirring frequently. Adjust the seasonings as needed. You want both the meat and the potatoes to be very tender.

I almost always serve my Guinness stew over mashed potatoes. They just go together perfectly, and the potatoes will absorb the liquid and the flavors of the stew. This is easily a meal in itself. Nothing else is really needed. But because I was making it a big feast, I had quite a bit more on my plate, both literally and figuratively. No one EVER leaves my house hungry. 🙂

Have a great day and make everyday great. Stay safe and stay well. ‘Til next time.