In a twist of fate, serving beef stew in sunny Florida turned out to be just the right thing to do. With company coming, I wanted to make my Guinness Beef Stew in honor of St. Paddy’s Day but had reservations about serving stew in 80 degree temperatures. On cue a cold front swept through and temperatures were in the 40’s and 50’s. We ate this warming stew on the patio wearing sweaters.
My Guinness Beef Stew is best cooked the day ahead so that you can remove the solid fats that come to the top. This also allows the stew to develop greater flavor. It incorporates Guinness Stout, Beef broth, carrots, celery, onions and the beef. Cooked slowly the meat becomes very tender. I usually serve this with mashed potatoes garnished with buttered breadcrumbs.
Instead of Corned Beef and Cabbage for St. Patrick’s Day, you may want to try this Guinness Beef Stew. Guinness is an Irish Stout developed by Arthur Guinness in his St. James Brewery in Dublin, Ireland.
We will be heading back to North Carolina over the weekend. It has been a relaxing 6 weeks in New Smyrna Beach Florida. We have enjoyed it so much that we will be returning next year. Finding short term rental properties is challenging in this popular community. We were lucky to find this charming Spanish styled bungalow for our next visit. The owners are a delightful couple and we feel honored that they are willing to allow us to rent their vacation home.
GUINNESS BEEF STEW
2 1/2 to 3 lbs chuck roast, cut into large cubes
3 Tbls olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
3 stalks of celery, chopped
3 large carrots, cut into large rounds
2 to 3 Tbls flour
1 16 oz can Guinness Stout
1 14.5 oz.can beef broth
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp. thyme
Salt and Pepper to taste
Dry and salt and pepper the beef cubes. Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven. Brown the beef in batches until nicely browned. Remove beef to plate. Add the vegetables to the pot and cook over medium heat until softened. Add the flour and cook for a few minutes. Return the beef to the pot and pour in the Guinness Stout and the beef broth. Add the flavorings and bring pot to a boil. Cover with lid and place in a preheated 325 degree oven.
Braise the stew for 3 to 3 1/2 hours. It can be served at this point, but it is better to let cool and then place in the refrigerator over night. Remove the solid fats that have accumulated on the top. Put the stew back into a preheated 325 degree oven and cook until heated through. Serve with mashed potatoes or Colcannon.
That sounds really good! Hopefully the weather will be warmer here when you arrive than it has been the past couple of days! I am making corned beef and colcannon for St. Pat’s but might try that stew next year!
Hi Penny – glad you’ve enjoyed FL. That house looks so cute for next year!
Your recipe is much like my mother’s recipe I grew up on (prior to becoming a non-meat eater). We did put the beef chunks in a baggie with the salt, pepper and flour, tossed to coat and then browned, adding everything else together and braising several hours.
Like your idea to chill overnight and skim the fat – who needs that!
We are freezing up here. Many of our plants have been damaged – including my fig trees which had leafed out, also the azaleas, and sounds like the NC strawberry crop will not be good this year – so sad for the farmers. Another below freezing night coming – that’s three in a row, and after all those amazingly warm days recently.
Naughty Mother Nature!!!
Take care on your journey back – bring your thermals!
Hugs – Mary
Your stew looks terrific Penny and I like the idea of cooking it a day ahead. Have a safe trip home.
Such a cute home! Adorable..is it on the water?
Jacques just mentioned to me that it was brisk where we go..unusual for March..yet you had beautiful weather the rest of time:)
We love beef stews:)
Lovely stew for a cool day! So glad you enjoyed your time in FL. Safe travels home.
I could have used some of this two nights ago…brrrr, Although it never got below 50. Still, unusual for S. Florida this time of year. I made do with Ina’s barley soup…had a container left over!
Your stew sounds heavenly, Penny. Usually I add a bit of red wine but I bet the beer takes it to a new dimension. We have stew and soup quite a bit in the cold weather so this is a winner for me.
6 weeks in sunny weather? I envy you! Looks like you had a great place to stay.
No plans yet for when we will next be down…Al’s work schedule is incredibly busy. I’m sure when he’s gets the urge to fly fish we will have definite plans! I’ll be in touch!
Jane x
What a charming rental home, Penny! Glad the weather cooperated for your beef stew 🙂 That is chilly for southern Florida. I haven’t made a beef stew in such a long time and yours looks wonderful!
Six weeks fly by so quickly, I can’t believe you are on your way home. Yes…it did get cold here in our part of Florida too. A record 39 the other morning but we had lunch at the beach today. Your meal would be good no matter the temperature. 🙂 Safe travels.
The weather has been swinging wildly between warm one day and we have freeze warnings tonight. So I’d love some of this right now! Glad y’all had fun in Florida.