Beef and Guinness stew
This is a classic Irish dish that is perfect for feeding a group of people. With the distinctive flavour of Guinness, it makes a good alternative to Irish stew.
Ingredients
2.25 lb/1kg of stewing beef (shin, flank or rib, trimmed and cut into 1in/2.5 cm cubes
1oz/25g flour
1 onion, peeled and sliced
2 carrots, sliced thickly
1 large or 2 small parsnips, peeled and cubed
1 pint/600ml Guinness, or beef stock
Quarter bottle/225ml prune juice or to taste (optional)
Bouquet garni or mixed herbs
Half celeriac or 3-4 stalks celery, trimmed and cubed
Half an orange, left whole (optional)
Method
Season the beef and toss in the flour to coat. Heat a little oil and butter in a heavy pan and brown the meat in batches, then transfer to a casserole dish. Add the onions and other vegetables, and sweat gently for a few minutes in the same pan.
Transfer to the casserole dish. Add any remaining flour to the pan, stir to absorb whatever fat is left, then cook for a minute before stirring in the Guinness (or stock and prune juice if using). Add the liquids to the casserole (enough to cover the main ingredients) as well as the bouquet garni or mixed herbs and the orange. Season, stir to mix well, cover and cook in the oven for about 2 hours, or until the beef is tender.
Remove the orange and bouquet garni, check seasoning, and add two prunes soaked in Guinness (optional). Serve with mashed potatoes and garnish with chopped parsley.
Source: Ireland.com
