Guinness Beef Stew

There are a lot of ways to cook up a hearty, comforting pot of beef stew, but if you ask me, absolutely nothing compares to Guinness beef stew. It also happens to be my favorite dinner to cook for St. Patrick’s Day. In this version, thick chunks of chuck roast are seared and then simmered low and slow in a Guinness-spiked sauce on the stovetop. The result is a richly flavored stew that treats you to melt-in-your-mouth beef, just-tender carrots and potatoes, and a sauce with just the right balance of sweet, bitter, and savory aromas. It’s a good idea to serve it with a crusty loaf of bread, so you can mop up every last drop.

• Guinness pairs well with chuck roast, which gives the stew a deep, rich flavor that makes it feel especially hearty.
• It’s a great make-ahead dinner that happens to taste even better the next day.

Do yourself a favor and skip the stew meat for Guinness beef stew. The best cut of meat for this dish is a boneless beef chuck roast. Starting with a whole roast and cutting it into pieces yourself gives you a lot of flexibility in how large or small the chunks of meat are. In this recipe, you’ll cut the meat into two-inch chunks. The reason stew meat isn’t a good choice here is that the pieces tend to be much smaller (usually about one-inch, at best), and aren’t always uniform. 

You can also use a combination of chuck roast, boneless leg of lamb, and bone-in lamb shoulder for a flavorful and hearty Irish Pub Lamb Stew, which also features Guinness beer.

• Boneless beef chuck roast: Ideally one that’s about 3 pounds.
• Guinness Irish Stout: Guinness has a malty sweetness with notes of chocolate and coffee that works perfectly in the stew.
• Potatoes: We like to use baby Yukon gold potatoes for their waxy, yet creamy texture.
• Carrots: Look for larger carrots, which will hold their shape in the stew.
• Beef broth: Use your favorite store-bought brand or make your own.
• Tomato paste: A couple tablespoons of tomato paste gives the stew a boost of umami.

1. Prep the ingredients. Cut the onions, mince the garlic, and cut the beef chuck into rough 2-inch cubes.
2. Brown the beef. Brown the beef in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat until browned on all sides. Transfer to a bowl.
3. Add the Guinness. Cook the onions and garlic, add the flour and tomato paste, then deglaze the pot with Guinness. Simmer until reduced by half.
4. Add the beef broth and browned beef. Cover and simmer until the beef is very tender, about 2 hours.
5. Add the carrots and potatoes. Cover and simmer until tender, about 30 minutes.

This hearty stew is delicious on its own, but it’s especially good with freshly baked bread or rolls. Here are a few of our favorites.

• Irish Soda Bread
• Soft and Tender Dinner Rolls
• Irish Buttermilk Soda Bread
• Parker House Rolls
• Irish Cheddar Potato Rolls

Stouts, like Guinness, are known for their bitterness. If the stew is cooked too quickly or if it doesn’t include ingredients to balance the bitterness, this flavor can be very pronounced. This recipe includes a couple of simple steps to tame that bitter flavor and ensure it doesn’t overwhelm the stew.

1. Sweetness: I’m not talking about sugar. Naturally sweet ingredients, like onions, carrots, and tomato paste work to balance some of the bitterness.
2. Ample cook time: Low, slow cooking for upwards of two-and-a-half hours also works to tame the bitterness.