Slow Cook Guinness Braised Beef Stew

These melt-in-your-mouth Guinness Braised Beef are hearty, super comforting and incredibly delicious, slowly cooked in stout and beef broth.

The no-so-secret ingredient that goes into this stew that gives the sauce the deep flavour and colour is Guinness Beer. Guinness Beer is so dark it is almost black and it is why the gravy of the stew is such a beautiful deep brown colour. Guinness is also much richer than most beers.

                             

Ingredients:

• 3 tbsp of cooking oil
• 1 kg of beef; brisket or chuck roast, cut into 1.5" pieces
• 1 large onion, diced
• 8 oz mushrooms, cleaned and quartered
• 2 tsp salt
• 5-6 medium to large carrots, peeled and sliced into bite size chunks
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2-3 tbsp plain flour
• 3 tbsp tomato paste
• 3 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
• 1 tsp ground black pepper
• 2½ cups of beef broth
• 1 bottle of Guinness Stout, 500ml
• 2 tbsp brown sugar

Method:

Heat oil in a stew pot over medium-high heat. In batches, brown meat on all sides. Once done, remove the beef and set it aside.

Lower the heat to medium. Add the mushrooms and cook over medium heat until they are softened and have evaporated all of it's liquid, about 8-10 minutes. 

Add in the onions and carrots and cook for another 10 minutes, until they begin to soften.

Add the garlic, flour, tomato paste, thyme and cook for 30 seconds until the red paste has turned a rusty colour. Deglaze the pot with beef broth, stout and sugar. Return the beef back to the pot. Bring the mixture up to a boil, then transfer to a slow cooker. You may also transfer to the oven. Slow cook for about 7 hours on low or 5 hours on high. If using oven, it will takes about 2 hours at 180ºC. Let it slow cook or braised until the meat is tender and the sauce has thickened. When the meat is tender, taste and adjust the seasoning, adding salt if necessary.

Serve with mash or rice, which ever you prefer.