Irish Beef Stew

We wouldn't let St. Patrick's Day come and go without providing you with an Irish-inspired recipe. While this stew is good enough to eat at any time of the year, it's especially appropriate for an Irish celebration –– in large part thanks to the bottle of Guinness dumped into its stock. The stout adds great depth of flavor to this stew with its roasted coffee notes and edge of bitterness, which are nicely balanced by the rich meat and sweet, earthy root vegetables.

Irish Beef Stew

Serves 6

Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided

  • 3 pounds beef chuck, excess fat trimmed, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces

  • Salt

  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 
4 cloves garlic, chopped

  • 1/3 cup tomato paste

  • 2 cups beef stock
  • 1 1/2 cups stout beer
  • 2 teaspoons dried thyme

  • 1 bay leaf

  • 2 to 3 large carrots, sliced 1/4-inch thick
  • 
1 large yellow onion, cut into 1-inch pieces

  • 1 medium rutabaga, cut into 3/4-inch pieces

  • 1 medium parsnip, cut into 3/4-inch pieces

To Prepare

  1. Preheat the oven to 325 F. Heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium-high heat in a Dutch oven or ovenproof pot with a lid. Season the beef all over with salt and pepper. Brown the beef in batches, without overcrowding, 6 to 8 minutes, turning as needed. Transfer the meat to a plate and repeat with the remaining beef.
  2. Add the garlic to the same pot and sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring constantly, for about 1 minute. Return all of the beef to the pot and stir to coat. Add the stock, beer, thyme, bay leaf, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. The meat should be just covered with liquid at this point – if not, add additional stock or beer to cover. Bring the liquid to a boil, then turn off the heat and cover the pot. Transfer the stew to the oven and cook until meat the is tender, about 2 hours.

  3. While the meat is cooking, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a deep skillet over medium heat. Add the carrots, onion, rutabaga, and parsnip and lightly season with salt. Sauté the vegetables until they brighten in color and begin to turn light golden at the edges, 2 to 3 minutes.

  4. Remove the stew from the oven and skim any fat on the surface of the liquid with a spoon. Stir in the vegetables and return the pot, uncovered, to the oven. Cook, stirring once or twice, until the sauce is slightly reduced, the vegetables are tender, and the meat is fork-tender, about 1 hour. Remove the stew from the oven and taste for seasoning. Serve hot with mashed potatoes.