Beef and Guinness Stew, a St Patrick’s Day Treat, from The Careless Cook

 

Beef and Guinness Stew, a St Patrick’s Day Treat, from The Careless Cook

 

As you inebriates know, Saint Patrick’s Day is celebrated every year on March 17, because, supposedly, that’s the day Saint Patrick passed on, circa 493 AD. Why should I add the word “supposedly?”  Because, the calendar and how we tell time, and even the number of days in the week have all undergone many changes over the centuries, but that’s another story.

 

While you’re sipping your first Guinness of the morning, here’s some things you may want to ponder:  Saint Patrick, one of three patron saints of Ireland, was born in Britain and as a young man was taken to Ireland by Irish raiders as a slave.  His life story is one of being in and out of slavery, returning to Britain, then returning to spend much of his life as a missionary in Ireland.  It’s said he brought Christianity to the Emerald Isle. Eventually, he was named as the Bishop of Irish Christians.

 

Did I say three patron saints?  Yep, besides St Patrick, there’s Brigit of Kildare and Columba.

 

We all know the Shamrock (clover leaf) is the symbol of Ireland, but did you know the three leaves represent the Holy Trinity, the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost?

 

Another nugget: The name shamrock derives from the Gaelic word seamróg, meaning little clover.

 

And, by the way, St Patty’s day is a feast day, not a drink until the Guinness barrel runs dry and you have to switch to Jameson day, so today The Careless Cook offers a wonderful Irish feast, with a touch of Irish drink! Beef and Guinness Stew!

 

Beef and Guinness Stew (You’re going to need a large stew pot)

 

Heat Oven to 325ºF or 160ºC

 

Ingredients

 

2 tablespoons (or a wee bit more) of olive oil

2 ½ pounds of beef cut into small cubes

Salt and pepper to taste

3 minced garlic cloves

2 large sweet onions, diced

4 carrots, sliced into ½ inch thick rounds (about 5 cups)

2 large stalks of celery sliced (about 3 cups)

2 cups sliced mushrooms

6 ounces of bacon, chopped

3 (or more) tablespoons flour

1 can of Guinness (14.9 oz)

4 tablespoons tomato paste (buy a tube of tomato paste, keeps better)

4 cups (one full carton) of beef broth (plus more beef extract to enrich the flavor)

Fresh thyme, or substitute any herb you like.  I used a handful of fresh thyme and also 3-4 heaping tablespoons of Herbs de Provence.

 

Puttin’ It Together

 

I kept the instructions to five steps, so my faithful readers only need to count on one hand.  Oh, yes, I am considerate.

 

1.    Fry the bacon in the stew pot and cook until almost crisp and set aside.

2.    Add the mushrooms to the pot and cook until most of the water is gone.

3.    Add all the vegetables and cook until the carrots are wilted.  Take out and set aside.

4.    Sprinkle the meat with salt and pepper, add it to the pot and cook until the meat is browned. Add the olive oil if needed. 

5.    Add everything to the stew pot, stir in the flour, then add the Guinness and beef broth, carrots and herbs and bring to a boil, then cover the pot and put it in the oven for three hours or longer.

 

 

I served the stew over rice, with some sliced raw onion on top.

 

Note 1: Taste the stew and add beef extract for more richness.

 

Note 2: Should you want to thicken your stew (I did!), dip out some stew broth in a small bowl and mix in two or three tablespoons of flour.  Mix until the lumps are gone and add it back into the stew. Stir well.

As you can see, making the stew memorable is not about following the recipe as much as it is following your taste buds!

 

Are you ready for the Jameson yet?  Me neither.  Time to pop another can of Guinness!  Sláinte!  Means Health in Gaelic and pronounced Slan-cha.

 

Want to feel more Irish? A few tidbits:  

 

What about Erin Go Bragh?  It means Ireland to the end of time and dates back to an Irish rebellion of 1798.

 

Why wear green on St Patrick’s Day?  Well, a couple of reasons.  Ireland is called The Emerald Isle and a stripe of green is on the Irish flag.  Traditionally, green is worn by Catholics and orange by Protestants.  Be careful if you’re in the wrong Irish neighborhood!