Slower Cooker Irish Stew

Succulently tender, fall-apart beef, carrots, and potatoes smothered in rich gravy made with Guinness stout. This Irish stew is easy to make but packs incredible flavor. Serve with warm biscuits to make it the ultimate comfort food. A perfect dish for St. Patrick’s Day. It even has something green – the parsley!

Adapted from: https://www.foxandbriar.com/slow-cooker-irish-beef-stew/

Prep Time: 30 mins           Cook Time: 6 hours                   Servings: 8

Ingredients:

• 3½ pounds beef chuck cut into 1 and 1/2 inch cubes

• 3 tablespoons olive oil

• 2 onions finely diced

• 1 tablespoon tomato paste

• 4 garlic cloves minced

• 1/4 cup all purpose flour

• 3 cups beef broth

• 1 ½ cups Guinness Extra Stout

• 3 tablespoons of red wine vinegar

• 2 tablespoons soy sauce

• 1 ½ tablespoons brown sugar

• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme

• 1 pound carrots cut into 1 inch pieces

• 1 ½ pounds Yukon gold potatoes cut into 1 inch pieces

• fresh parsley

• 1 teaspoon of smoked paprika

• 1 teaspoon salt

• ½ teaspoon coarse black pepper

Instructions:

1. In a large bowl, combine the salt, pepper, paprika, red wine vinegar, soy sauce, and 1 tablespoon of olive oil.  Add the beef to the bowl and rub the seasoning mixture onto it. Allow the beef to marinate for 15-20 minutes.

2. Heat a dutch oven over medium high heat. Add the other 2 tablespoons of oil. Brown the beef on all sides. Remove the beef from the pan and transfer to the slow cooker.

3. Return pan to heat, add the onions, and sauté until golden brown, about 15 minutes. Reduce the heat as needed to avoid burning the onions.

4. When the onions are golden, add the tomato paste and garlic, stir until combined and a “fond” (the brown bits) is starting to develop on the bottom of the pot.

5. Slowly whisk in the beef broth, scrapping up any brown bits on the bottom of the pan. Add a 1/2 cup of the Guinness, the brown sugar, and the fresh thyme. Whisk to combine.

6. Add potatoes and carrots to slow cooker. Carefully pour the broth over the meat and vegetables. Set the slow cooker to low and cook for 6-8 hours.

7. Whisk the flour into the remaining 3/4 cup of Guinness. Pour this mixture into the slow cooker and stir to fully combine. Cook for another 20-30 minutes, the stew will thicken as it continues to cook. Just before serving, stir in the fresh chopped parsley.