[at-l] Guinness Stew?

[Carla & Dave Hicks]

I haven’t had theirs for years.  However, as best I remember when, last, I did, it was very similar to what I typically make – which isn’t saying much, as I cook stews more as concepts that following fixed recipes.  I also experiment and/or go with what’s in the house at the time.

IMHO, the key to Guinness Stew and Guinness braised beef (or sheep meat) is similar – e.g., use  Guinness stout and a slow-cooker. (Or a dutch-oven in a very low temp oven. Or better yet bedded coals at a car-camping fishing site along a river somewhere or at a hunting camp.  Who would backpack a dutch-oven?)

You could try the following:

  a.. 2-3 pounds beef stew meat, roast meat, or steak meat, cut into 1 to 1 1/2 inch cubes and trimmed of excess fat  (For authenticity, you can use/substitute mutton, sheep, or lamb shanks etc. The meat can be the less costly cut, as you will be biasing it tender.) 
  b.. about 1/3 cup flour


Vary the vegetables to your taste. Choice of the following:
  a.. 2-3 carrots, peeled and sliced 
  b.. 1-2 rib celery (optional), sliced 
  c.. 3 medium potatoes, scrubbed and cut into 1-inch cubes (or substitute baby red potatoes, quartered -- for a nice touch) 
  d.. 1 small onion, roughly chopped in larges pieces or 2 large shallots 
  e.. 1 large parsnip, roughly chopped 
  f.. one 10 ounce package frozen cut green beans or one 10 ounce package frozen peas 
  g.. one 14.5 oz. can stewed tomatoes

  a.. 400 ml Guinness stout (or more) 
  b.. 1 teaspoon dried rosemary (or 1 tbsp. chopped fresh) 
  c.. 1 teaspoon dried thyme (or 1 tbsp. chopped fresh) 
  d.. 2 dried bay leaves 
  e.. beef base or bouillon mixed with about 1 C. boiling water until dissolved 
  f.. 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic 
  g.. few drops worcestershire sauce (optional) 
  h.. 2 -3 tablespoons packed brown sugar (optional) 
  i.. 1 oz. bittersweet chocolate, chopped (optional but good) 
  j.. More four as needed 
  k.. Salt & freshly ground black pepper 

Prep vegies, of choice.

Heat oil in a skillet just short of smoking. Dredge beef chunks in flour and add to hot oil. Brown on all sides. Add to crockpot, and repeat with remaining beef.

When done browning the meat, the skillet with have bits of browned meat/flour stuck to it. Pour about a half a cup of the beef base/bouillon broth into the hot pan, bring to a boil and scrape the pan to loosen the meat and the flour left in the pan. Add to stew.

Add vegies of choice.

Add the seasonings and sugar and chocolate. (The sugar and or chocolate is to offset the tartness of the beer.  So, it is a matter of taste.)

Add rest of the beef base/bouillon broth and 3/4 of the Guinness – as needed to just cover the meat & vegies.

Put the top on the crockpot and leave it on (if you’re looking you’re not cooking – e.g., if you stir or take the top off the crock pot to look you lose a half hour or more of cooking).

Cook on HIGH for two hours, then turn it down and cook on low for six more hours.

About 1/2 hour before serving, take lid off, remove bay leaves, mix flour w/ the reserved Guinness and add to thicken.  Cover and cook for the remaining 1/2 hour.

Add salt and pepper to taste.

Good luck

Chainsaw


From: Cody Girl 
Sent: Sunday, November 21, 2010 8:47 AM
To: at-l 
Subject: [at-l] Guinness Stew?

Does anyone have a recipe for Guinness Stew similar to what they serve at Inn at Long Trail?  
Thanks!
Cody


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