Usually my husband and I go out for St. Patrick's Day to enjoy the best of the city... like many this year we decided to heed the governments suggestion to stay home. So, I made this delicious Irish Beef Stew for the first time and am now wondering what the heck took me so long!
The beef comes out tender, the sauce is rich without being overly heavy & the peas add a nice little sweetness & texture pop when you bite down on them! Plus, it pairs perfectly with a full bodied red wine or Irish stout . I just love it!
This is a relatively simple, and delicious, meal that stands up to the test of time. I did not add two ingredient lists below because this is a fairly standard recipe for beef stew and why mess with a classic right?
Alright, let's get cooking!
Stout Beef Stew Recipe
Ingredients | Thyme for Prep:
• 1 pound top round beef (or stew meat), cut into 1-inch cubes
• 4-6 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 1 leek, thinly sliced
• 2-3 carrots, peeled and diced
• 1 cup fresh peas (sub frozen if needed)
• 1 pkg button portobello mushrooms halved or quartered
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 cup vegetable or beef broth
• 1 cup dark stout beer
• 1/2 cup rich red wine
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
• 4 sprigs fresh thyme (opt)
• 1 teaspoon fresh or dried thyme leaves
• 1 bay leaf
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch flour
Direction Thyme:
1. Prep all ingredients, open the wine to breath & pour yourself a glass to enjoy!
TIP: soak the leek in water to remove the dirt/sand from growth.
2. Salt & Pepper beef, set aside
3. Heat large deep saucepan or dutch oven on medium high heat
4. Add 2 tbs butter & coat bottom of pan
5. Add mushrooms, making sure not to crowd them so they cook evenly
6. Cook mushrooms until golden brown on each side, lightly salt, remove & set aside
7. Add 2 tbs butter & beef, again don't crowd the beef
8. Allow beef to brown, turning with tongs to brown on each side
OPTIONAL: While browning, add sprigs of fresh thyme for additional flavor
9. Once brown, remove beef & lower heat to medium low
10. Add carrots, salt & pepper & let sweat for 1-2 minutes
11. Add onion, garlic & leeks, again salt & pepper
12. Allow vegetables to sweat down
TIP: scrape the bottom of pan to release all the yummy brown goodness
13. Once veggies are softened, mix in tomato paste coating evenly & allow to cook 3 mins
14. Stir in beer, wine, and broth & add thyme, parsley, and bay leaf until mixed & incorporated
15. Salt & pepper to taste TIP: if the liquid is below the beef, add more beer or wine
16. Bring to a boil, then cover & reduce to low/medium low to simmer
17. Stir in mushrooms
18. Allow to simmer 1-2 hrs stirring occasionally & tasting to check for salt
TIP: if the liquid begins to drop below the beef line, add more beer or wine (it will help breakdown the beef better than broth)
19. In separate bowl mix together 2 tbs unsalted butter & 2 tbs cornstarch (or flour)
20. Once beef is tender, add peas & allow to warm through (if frozen rinse in cool water to shake off any excess ice)
21. Stir in butter/cornstarch mixture and allow sauce to thicken
22. Dish mashed potatoes & spoon beef stew on top