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–+ servings

Irish Beef Stew

Delicious Irish beef stew with Guinness stout beer and sirloin tip roast
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 30 minutes
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American, Irish
Servings 6
Calories 418 kcal

Equipment

  • a large Dutch oven or pot with a lid

Ingredients
  

  • 6 slices bacon, cut into small pieces
  • 2.5 pounds sirloin tip roast, cut into 3-inch chunks
  • salt
  • pepper
  • 2 cups onion, chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves
  • 3 tablespoons flour
  • 4 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 3 cups chicken stock
  • 6 large carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 4 large celery stalks, cut into 1-inch pieces
  • (1) 14.9-ounce stout beer like Guinness
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 4 sprigs fresh thyme

Instructions
 

  • Place the bacon in a large nonstick skillet and cook on low to medium heat until brown. Remove the bacon and place it in a Dutch oven (or another large pan), leaving the bacon grease in the skillet. Salt and pepper the beef and add a few pieces to the skillet. If necessary, add cooking oil to the bacon grease to brown the meat. Remove the browned beef chunks and place them in the Dutch oven with the bacon. Continue adding and browning the beef until it is browned and moved to the Dutch oven.
  • Add the onion and garlic to the bacon grease in the skillet and cook until the onion is wilted. Add the flour and stir to mix with the onion. Pour a little chicken stock to help deglaze the pan, and cook for a minute. Then, pour everything from the skillet into the Dutch oven.
  • Add the tomato paste, carrots, celery, beer, and the rest of the chicken stock to the Dutch oven. Stir to mix well. Add the bay leaves and thyme.
  • Place a lid on the Dutch oven and bring the stew to a simmer. Cook for 2 hours at a low simmer.
  • After two hours, check the tenderness of the beef. If it is not easily broken apart with a fork, cook for another 30 minutes with the lid on, then recheck the tenderness. (See note below for an extra tip.)
  • Remove the lid and simmer the stew for 30 minutes with the lid off to thicken the broth. Salt and pepper to taste.

Notes

Cooking Time

This stew should cook at a low simmer with a lid on.  The recipe calls for a 2-hour cooking time, but because of stove temperature variables, this stew can be cooked for up to 3 hours with the lid on. Also, larger-sized beef chunks will take longer to cook. Check the stew after 2 hours to ensure a longer cooking time will not overcook the vegetables.

Thickening the Broth

Cooking the stew for the last 30 minutes with the lid off lets steam escape, which thickens the broth.

Flavor of Finished Stew

This stew will not taste like beer when it is finished. It has a dark, rich gravy-type broth that goes well with mashed potatoes or white rice.

Add-Ins

This stew would also be good with 8 ounces of fresh sliced mushrooms. Add the mushrooms when you add the carrots and celery.

Chuck Roast

You can also make this stew with a chuck roast.

Cooking Tip

I use the nonstick skillet to cook the bacon, beef, onion, and garlic to keep them from sticking and burning. Occasionally, they stick to the Dutch oven and burn, which causes the stew to have small dark pieces of onion and garlic.

Nutrition

Calories: 418kcalCarbohydrates: 25gProtein: 49gFat: 11gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0.01gCholesterol: 115mgSodium: 586mgPotassium: 1344mgFiber: 4gSugar: 9gVitamin A: 12424IUVitamin C: 14mgCalcium: 105mgIron: 5mg
Keyword Beef Stew with Vegetables, Guinness Beef Stew, Guinness Irish Beef Stew, Irish Beef Stew, Stovetop Beef Stew
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