Recipe: Beef and Irish Stout Stew (2024)

Recipe from http://edible-ireland.com/

A traditional dish with a slight twist- the addition of porcini mushrooms for an extra umami hit.

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Corned Beef ScouseHearty meatball bake

Ingredients

• olive oil
• 1 kg (2 lb) stewing beef, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 25 g (1/4 cup) flour
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 10 g (1/3 cup) dried porcini mushrooms
• 4 carrots, cut into thick slices
• 2 onions, roughly chopped
• 3 large garlic cloves, chopped
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
• 500 ml (2 cups) Irish stout
• 500 to 750 ml (2 to 3 cups) beef stock
• freshly ground black pepper
• 2 bay leaves
• champ, colcannon or mashed potatoes, to serve
• chopped fresh parsley, to garnish

Details

servings 4
Level of difficulty Easy
Preparation time 20mins
Cooking time 130mins
Cost Average budget

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F).

Step 2

Heat some olive oil over a medium heat in a Dutch oven or a large, heavy-bottomed pot. While the oil is heating up, pat the beef dry with paper towels and toss it in the flour seasoned with some salt and pepper, making sure all the pieces have a dusting of flour. Tap off any excess flour, then brown the beef in batches in the pot for about 5 minutes per batch, turning occasionally. Don’t crowd the pot, otherwise the beef will steam instead of brown, and don’t be tempted to raise the heat too high or the flour will stick to the bottom of the pot too much. Transfer the browned beef to a plate and set aside.

Step 3

While the beef is browning, put the dried mushrooms in a bowl and pour over 125 ml (1/2 cup) just-boiled water to re-hydrate them. Set them aside to steep.

Step 4

Once all the beef is browned, add the carrots and onions to the pot along with a pinch of salt to keep the onions from browning. Cook for 10 minutes, until the vegetables are softened. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Strain the mushrooms from their soaking liquid (save the liquid!) and finely chop them, then add them to the pot along with the tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce and thyme, stirring to coat all the vegetables. Cook for 1 minute more.

Step 5

Add in a little of the stout to deglaze the pot, scraping up as much of the browned bits as you can. Add in the rest of the stout, the mushroom soaking liquid and 500 ml (2 cups) of the beef stock, then add the beef back to the pot along with any juices from the plate and a generous grinding of black pepper. Stir to combine everything, then drop in 2 bay leaves.

Step 6

Cover the stew and bring it to a boil, then either transfer it to the oven and let it cook for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, or else reduce the heat to medium and simmer it, uncovered, on the stovetop. Either way, stir it from time to time and add in any or all of the remaining 250 ml (1 cup) of beef stock if you think it needs it. The stew is done when the beef is fork tender and the liquid has reduced and thickened a bit.

Step 7

To serve, spoon off any fat that may have risen to the top of the stew and taste for seasoning. Spoon some champ, colcannon or mashed potatoes into individual shallow bowls or plates, making a well in the centre. Ladle the stew on top of the potatoes, garnish with the chopped parsley and serve. Like most stews, this one actually improves in flavour after a day, so the leftovers are even better.