If you've never had the pleasure of tasting traditional British food, you have been dearly missing out. Although humble in origin, there is something deeply nostalgic about British cooking, and even when trying a dish for the very first time, it can stir up some delicious food memories. This is definitely the case with this all-time classic dish of Guinness and beef stew, a meal perfectly suited for your slow cooker.
While you might not be sold by the title itself, we can assure you that this meal is worth overcoming your culinary hesitations, and diving right on in! With the simple steps of browning your beef and quickly sauteing the onions along with the Guinness, this flavorful stew is the perfect winter dish to enjoy with the whole family. Because the small amount of alcohol in the stout cooks out as it stews, this dish is very child-friendly!
Guinness and Beef Stew
4-6
30 minutes
4 hours
4 hours + 30 minutes
2 1/2 lbs (680g) beef chuck, cubed
2 small white onions, roughly chopped
3 carrots, roughly chopped
14oz (400g) beef broth
1 tablespoon dried thyme
1/4 cup (55g) chopped fresh parsley
1/2 lb (225g) chestnut mushrooms, sliced
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon olive oil
15 oz (425 ml) can Guinness
Place the flour, salt, pepper and thyme into a ziploc or resealable bag. Place the cubed beef into the bag and shake until the beef is well-coated in the flour.
Heat the olive oil over a medium heat in a large frying pan and sear the floured beef on all sides until nicely browned. This can be done in batches. Once browned, place the beef into the bottom of a 5 quart slow cooker. Pour over the beef broth, bay leaf, and parsley.
Place the chopped onions, carrots, garlic and mushrooms into the frying pan and quickly saute over a high heat until the onions have slightly browned. Pour the Guinness over the vegetables and bring it to a boil.
One boiling, remove the onions from heat and place into the slow cooker. Stir everything together with a wooden spoon. Cover and cook on low for 3-4 hours. Add more flour if a thicker base is desired.
Pro tip: Although we recommend browning the beef beforehand, if you're short on time you can skip this step and place the floured beef directly into the slow cooker. Browning the beef helps to seal in flavor and moisture, and will render much more tender beef in the end result.