What kind of beer is best for beef stew?
Make this nutritious Irish beef stew using Guinness Draught for maximum malty flavor that goes great with root vegetables and beef. However, Porter is another option with their legendary malty flavor!
Here are tips for making the best, most irresistible stew.
Dry the Beef
Although this step can be time consuming and frustrating, it’s well worth your while. Moisture-laden meat doesn’t brown properly when added to stew. Therefore, using an absorbent paper towel to blot dry your beef is invaluable in producing flavorful results.
Roll the Beef in Flour
Reverse Searing of Beef To ensure dry, clean beef for searing, roll it in spiced flour prior to searring for optimal results. This will guarantee an outstanding sear mark!
Brown the Beef
Once your meat is dry and well-floured, it is time to grill it. Don’t expect the perfect brown crust but rather aim for just enough heat so as to achieve desired results.
Add Beer (or Wine)
For an exceptional stew experience, the best recipes use many flavors. Guinness beef stew gives this stew recipe its robust aroma; dry red coffee or wine could also work equally well. As you pour the beer mix in the pot after simmering the meat in step 1, remove all bits that remained stuck to its bottom surface – this way your stew will gain even more depth of flavor!
At this stage, the stew should be nearly ready for baking in an oven. Simply mix all of its components in one large pot before placing in an oven for around 2 hours to complete cooking.
Add extra veggies for a heartier stew
Baby potatoes make an excellent side dish when combined with frozen corn kernels, frozen peas and mushrooms.
Thicken the stew as needed with cornstarch (if necessary).
Your stew should thicken naturally during its final 15 minutes of cooking; if that fails to occur, add a small pinch of cornstarch.
Don’t skip the sugar
Don’t leave out this essential component! Without it, your stew could become overly bitter; even just adding one teaspoon can make an incredible difference in taste!
Use a Crockpot
When cooking on the stovetop, bring out the slow cooker for use.
Ingredients Used to Make Healthy Guinness Beef Stew
Boneless chuck roast
Boneless Chuck Roast: My go-to meat for stews
Butter or avocado oil
Personally, I like using butter for the taste of my stew; however, to make it healthier you could switch out for olive or avocado oils as an alternative source.
Flour
Flour can come from either an all-purpose mix with whole wheat added, or from an all-purpose gluten-free mix. Both should work.
Shallot
Shallots tend to be more garlicky and sweeter than regular onions, which is why I prefer these over regular onions. You could also opt for using small yellow onions instead.
Garlic
I made an unwise choice by choosing pre-minced garlic; fresh has the best flavor! However, you could also try using dried (about 1/4 tsp per freshly-chopped clove of fresh garlic).
Tomato paste
I usually purchase my tomato sauce in tube form as you won’t always use an entire jar at once. Any extra tomato paste can be stored either in the freezer or fridge.
Unsweetened cocoa powder
Guinness beer and meat all make for a nutritious stew of beef, with cocoa adding its unique taste. Although cocoa may seem unusual as an ingredient for making this stew deliciously nutritious. Make sure that when using sweetened cocoa, not unsweetened cocoa!
Low-sodium chicken stock
I used to make my own stock from beef; however, after trying store-bought versions I’ve come to prefer them both in terms of taste and effectiveness.
Strong-brewed coffee
Make an irresistibly flavorful stew! I make extra coffee each day at breakfast time and store it in the refrigerator so I can prepare the stew in the afternoon.
Guinness
For this recipe, you will require 1.5 cans (22.4 grams). I made this dish using Guinness Draught only.
Worcestershire sauce can add an additional depth of umami flavor to any stew or soup dish.
Peeled Carrots
I enjoy using fresh carrots in beef stews; however, frozen carrots can be just as beneficial.
Cauliflower flower florets.
To create a lower sugar Guinness Beef Stew I used cauliflower instead of traditional potatoes; if that doesn’t suit your palate consider sliced red potatoes instead.
Cauliflower florets
Start by grilling the bacon until it reaches an ideal crispy-brown hue, before moving it to your cooker and adding pieces back when they have become golden-brown in color. Finish by searing any meat within its fat – once seared add it into the stew pan for proper searing!
Make Guinness Beef Stew
Cook the bacon and beef
Make sure that when boiling onions in your same pan where you made bacon and beef, to add garlic cloves as they soften before stirring frequently to extract all that deliciousness from your sauce! For optimal results use an electric hand blender (not microwave!) when mashing.
Cook the onions and garlic, then add the beer
Once it is evident that your Guinness mixture is ready, pour it into a stewpot along with the meat. Add vegetables as well as tomatoes, tomato paste, black peppercorns, sugar, and then cover all with chicken broth for best results.
Simmer the stew for two hours
Cover and simmer the stew on low temperature, checking every hour or two. Remove lid to stir soup; if fatty foam forms on surface take it off at this time as well.
After two hours have elapsed, raise the heat to medium high. Uncover and cook the dish until it reaches a simmering boiling point; continue simmering at this temperature for 15-20 more minutes so as to make thicker stew.
Remove the thyme and season
Carefully locate the thyme sprigs and pull them out before seasoning your stew for the final time with additional pepper and salt to meet your individual tastes.
Serve and enjoy
Wether eaten on its own or mixed in with potato mash, stew is delicious either way!