Irish Guiness Beef Stew - Crockpot

Ingredients:

2 ½ pounds beef chuck cut into bite-sized pieces
3 large celery stalks diced
1 large yellow onion diced
3-4 medium yellow potatoes cubed
3 large carrots diced
32 ounces low sodium beef stock
12 ounce Guinness stout
½ cup white flour
3 cloves garlic finely minced
2 medium bay leaves
4 tablespoons olive oil divided
4 sprigs fresh thyme or 2 tablespoons dried

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Directions:

Prepare the celery, onion, and potatoes by washing and dicing them. Keep them somewhat similar in size so they’ll cook evenly. Set aside.

In a large bowl, add the beef pieces and lightly salt. Add in the flour and stir to coat.

To a large frying pan, over medium heat, add 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the flour-coated beef and cook until golden brown. Work in batches if needed, to avoid overcrowding the pan. When done, remove the beef from the pan and set aside.

To the same pan, over medium heat, add two more tablespoons of olive oil and the diced onion and minced garlic. Sprinkle with a bit of salt and saute until fragrant.

Add the diced carrots and celery and cook until soft, approximately 10 minutes.

To the bowl of the slow cooker, add the browned meat, the cooked veggies, and the cubed potatoes and mix well.

Pour in the Guinness beer and beef stock. Add the thyme and bay leaves. Salt and pepper to taste.

Cover and cook on LOW for 6-8 hours, or HIGH for 4-5 hours, or until your potatoes are soft and the broth has thickened.

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Notes:

Use chuck in your stew. The tougher cut breaks down beautifully in the slow cooker.

Sear the meat. Don’t just brown the beef, let it sit in the hot pan and form a crust before you flip to the next side.

Give it time. Low and slow is the way to go with stew. If possible, cook it on LOW for the best results.