In my opinion stew is the perfect cold weather dish. Hearty, comforting and warming for soul and body beef stew is one of my go to dishes when there’s a bit of a chill in the air. With a rich flavor from my favorite dark Irish stout beer and loaded with vegetables this Irish beef stew will warm you up on the coldest of days. After you have just one spoonful of my Irish Stout Beef Stew it’s sure to become one of your favorites as well.
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What is the best cut of beef for beef stew?
I feel chuck is the best cut to use for beef stew and honestly, it’s got a lot going for it. It’s inexpensive and available at practically every grocery store and butcher counter. The chuck is a primal cut from the shoulder and has a lot of marbling and collagen rich connective tissue. When you cook chuck at a low heat over a longer period of time it becomes tender and the collagen melts down making the broth extra rich. You can typically find chuck precut into cubes labeled as stew meat, have your butcher cut it for you or you can certainly cut it yourself.
What is the best beer for beef stew?
Since it’s in the name of this recipe I obviously use a Stout beer like Guinness, but any dark beer (such as a brown ale or porter) would work well. I would stay away from any of the darker dessert beers or pastry stouts for this stew.
How to make Irish Stout Beef Stew
This is a pretty standard beef stew recipe but with a few tweaks to maximize flavor. I first start by browning the beef in a bit of olive oil (Maillard reaction = flavor) and then throw in a few tablespoons of flour (I prefer my stews thick vs soupy). After that I add the beer (maybe a sip or two for the chef while I’m at it) and broth. To amp up the umami flavor even more I like to toss in a few dried porcini mushrooms, these have an earthiness that give my stew an additional depth of flavor.
Next up are potatoes and carrots ( I prefer heartier pieces but you can certainly cut smaller pieces if you like)as well as bay leave, thyme and rosemary for some herbal notes. Bring the stew up to a quick boil, reduce the heat and simmer on low for an hour. Your kitchen will smell amazing and your reward for this patience is meat that is meltingly tender in a deep, rich flavorful broth that is best soaked up with a piece of crusty bread.
If you like this Best Irish Stout Beef Stew be sure to take a look at some of my other recipes!
Instant Pot Spiced Butternut Squash Soup
Quick and Healthy White Chicken Chili
Spiced Pork Tenderloin with Bourbon Apples
Easy Vegan Creamy Curried Lentil Soup
If you make this Irish Stout Beef Stew please be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Be sure to follow me on Facebook and Pinterest for my latest recipes. Also, if you do make this recipe please tag me on Instagram, I’d love to see what you guys are making!
The Best Irish Stout Beef Stew
Equipment
- Dutch oven
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 pound beef stew meat cut into 1 inch cubes
- 3 tbsp AP flour
- 1 cup stout (such as Guiness) or other dark beer
- 4 cups beef broth
- 2 large potatoes, cubed
- 2 large carrots, peeled and chopped
- 2 large dried porcini mushrooms optional
- 2 dried bay leaves
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 2 springs fresh thyme
- kosher salt and ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add beef stew meat and brown on all sides, about 4-5 minutes. Add flour and stir, coating beef and cook for 1-2 minutes.
- Add stout beer, beef broth, vegetables and herbs. Bring to a boil the reduce heat and simmer for one hour. Add salt and pepper to taste.
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Katherine Beck says
I agree 100% chuck is king when it comes to stew…and Guinness in this really upped the savoriness, great idea!
Lillie says
I don’t usually cook meat, but this is the recipe to change that! Yum!
Jessica Stroup says
The best beef stew recipe! This is our new go-to for those cold winter nights!
Soheila Hakimi says
I agree with you, a nice hardy stew is the best winter dish! Especially an authentic Irish one!
Jenn says
This is my kind of stew! So thick and hearty and chunky, and I love the flavor that the stout gives to it – such richness!
Sandhya Ramakrishnan says
The best meal for a winter meal. What a lovely recipe this is and a favorite one for sure.
Megan says
It’s snowy outside and I was looking for something using ingredients I already had. This was delicious for a wintery day.
Adrianne says
This looks like a hearty and delicious stew! Love the veggies in there also. A bowl of this and a cold day and I am all set!
Priya Lakshminarayan says
I will share this recipe with my neighbor. She loves beef and this stew looks amazing!