The Cold has been making the rounds here at our house, and I hope you manage to avoid it. If your throat starts feeling a little sore, go out and corral a few boxes of Kleenex (I’m not kidding, I went through 3 120-tissue boxes all by myself) and get this vat of stew out of the fridge. Leave it bubbling on the back burner so everyone has something to eat while you are incapacitated. And now that my germs have moved on to Best Beloved and I am reasonably healthy again, I am anticipating one of those great cook’s perks: sampling the Guinness while I prepare the stew. Some people prefer red wine, I know, but there is something heartening about stout. If stout doesn’t cure you, chicken soup and penicillin won’t stand a chance, either.
Restorative Beef Stew
2 pounds beef, cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes (use beef chuck or similar)
2 tablespoons garlic, minced
1 cup carrots, chopped
1 large yellow onion, chopped
1/2 cup celery, chopped
2 cups potatoes, chopped
2 pint cans of Guinness (this is not for the faint hearted)
1 quart beef stock
4 fresh thyme sprigs
2 fresh rosemary sprigs
1 cup coffee (make extra for breakfast in the morning)
Splash of olive oil
Salt and pepper
In a large stock pot, heat up a drizzle of olive oil over medium heat. Add the beef and brown for about 5-7 minutes.
Once the meat is beautifully browned, add the garlic and other vegetables except for the potatoes and cook until they caramelize and have a bit of color. (About 8-10 minutes)
Add all the liquid, the whole sprigs of herbs (bundle the herbs together with some string for easy removal) potatoes, some salt and pepper and reduce the heat to a simmer
The soup should have small bubbles rising on the sides of the pot for 1 hour or longer until the meat is fork tender.
Serve with a fresh baguette from Against the Grain and some creamy grass-fed cow organic butter. Guinness on the side. A salad if you insist. And remember, “Guinness is Good for You.”
Here are some links with interesting variations of the beef stew theme:
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/old-time-beef-stew-recipe/index.html
http://www.food52.com/recipes/2962_secret_ingredient_beef_stew
http://www.bonappetit.com/recipes/2008/04/beef_and_carrot_stew_with_dark_beer
“I have a total irreverence for anything connected with society except that which makes the roads safer, the beer stronger, the food cheaper and the old men and old women warmer in the winter and happier in the summer.”
- Brendan Behan
For a giggle, watch these Guinness commercials:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6wUnPWiIBBA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQDjynOzgCk