Beef & Guinness stew

Do you like to drink Guinness?

Do you like to eat beef?

Do you like warm stew?

Would you go mad in winter if you couldn't drink a pint of Guinness while eating a warm beef stew?

Well, I may not be a doctor (technically, anyway), but fortunately I can prevent you from going mad.

I suggest a dose of Beef and Guinness Stew, with a side of Mashed Potatoes, and you should wash it down with a pint of Guinness.

You're welcome.

For about four servings, you will need the following:

• Half an onion
• Three cloves of garlic
• A few springs of rosemary
• 3-4 bay leaves
• One pint of Guinness draught
• One pint of beef broth
• 4 carrots
• Stewing beef, check with your butcher

Preparation Time: 20 minutes

Cooking time: 2-3 hours

This recipe was enough for four people and there was a bit leftover. Stew is always better the next day anyway, but don't tell that to your guests or they will be cross with you and leave - only to return inconveniently the following day just as you are about to enjoy your better stew.

Start by chopping three quarters of an onion and three cloves of garlic. Feel free to modify the onion/garlic as you prefer, you can taste the difference, but it won't kill the stew.

Next, toss your stewing beef cuts in flour. I realised post-stew that I ought to have doused my beef in more flour, so ensure that your beef looks whiter than mine.

To start cooking, toss your onions and garlic in a pot with some oil and let them fry up just a bit.

Then add the beef along with a generous sprinkle of salt and pepper.

What you want to do is to get the beef nicely browed on the outside. I had the heat on med-high, and I only wish I had used a larger frying pan initially so that I would not have had to crowd the beef.

If you're in the same position as I was, just remember to let the beef sit for a few minutes before tossing it around the pot.

I decided to chop up some rosemary, but I am also going to use some full stalks.

Along with the rosemary, toss 3-4 bay leaves into the pot.

Finally, it is time to add the wonderful blessing. [Moment of silence]

Now, I'm using Guinness draught, which I first poured into a pint glass and left to settle. The reason is that I'm going to prevent the froth from getting in the stew.

I used a full pint of Guinness in my stew (minus a few important sips for quality control). The important thing is to remember that when you pour the Guinness into the pot, use a spoon to hold back the foam. Otherwise, the foam will rise to the top of your stew and you will have to carefully spoon it out later.

As you can see on the right, the foam is left in the glass after pouring the Guinness.

So, along with the Guinness, add just shy of a pint of beef broth to the pot.

Give the whole thing a good stir and raise the heat so that it comes to a boil, then reduce to a tiny, tiny amount of heat where the broth is just simmering.

Now cover the stew and go away for a few hours. Just pop in to stir it from time to time, but leave it on the stove for at least two hours before serving. About an hour before serving time, add some sliced carrots to it (sorry, forgot to take a picture, but you know carrots, right? Long orange things with a bugs bunny on one end?).

After two hours, if your stew is still quite thin, sift a tablespoon of flour into it and mix well.

Finally, serve with mashed potatoes.

Do I really have to suggest that a pint of Guinness is a great accompaniment to a Guinness stew?

No? Well, good then; I wont.

As with all the other recipes we put on this site, this is meant to be easy to follow. We are hobby chefs who love to cook, and we are always up for learning new techniques. If you know of anything in this recipe which can be done a different way, whether for increased ease of preparation or better taste, please add a comment below!

Whipped up by Shyamal Addanki