Hearty Guinness Stew

Hearty Guinness Stew is the perfect compliment to any St. Patrick’s day celebration. Traditionally made with lamb, this savory dish is terrific with beef or pork, too!

I’m 100% Irish on my mum’s side, hailing from Cork and Limerick. Growing up, we never really kept Irish traditions alive beyond maybe a batch of corned beef and cabbage (which really isn’t Irish) or a loaf of soda bread (which is) on St Paddy’s Day.  And, of course we wore green and at least one shamrock on that very special day. There was a time when extended family got together for St Paddy’s day, people so extended I only knew them by last name, but all related in some way. My mum grew up in a tiny farm community called Askeaton, about 20 minutes outside Green Bay, WI. The community was established back in the late-1840s by Irish immigrants fleeing the potato famine in Ireland. In fact, the first family to settle in what was to become Askeaton, WI came via New York and settled there in 1849. Askeaton is also a small village in Ireland near Limerick…the place of my people.

Irish-ish Favorites

I’ve had this yearning to really learn about my Irish heritage. I’ve really don’t know a whole lot. And, I’m learning about more traditional dishes. An old Irish favorite of mine is Colcannon, which is traditional Irish, and of course my Guinness corned beef, which technically isn’t really Irish. And then, there’s stew.  I’ve always loved a good stew. Such a great belly-warmer on chilly days. I grew up with a stew that features cloves as the magical spice, but it’s not really traditional…except that it was my mum’s recipe from who knows where.

Learning Traditions

As a student of food, and heritage, I’ve been doing some research on what makes a traditional Irish food. I’ve so much to learn! But, I thought I’d try my hand at what I think is a more traditional stew, Hearty Guinness Stew. If you haven’t guessed already, a whole bottle or can (minus a good swig for the cook!) of delicious Guinness stout is one of the feature ingredients! Now, traditional Irish stew is typically made with lamb. But, not only is lamb hard to find in my neck of the woods, I’m frankly not a big fan of it unless it’s in a gyro (but that’s another heritage!). So, I make mine with beef. I will say, however, that pork is just as delicious in this dish. Make it traditional, or switch it up. It’s at your pleasure.

Going Cheap & Slow

Ironically, when you make a rich and delicious stew you can get off really cheap with ingredients. First, you don’t need the best cut of roast. Simply find whatever is least expensive for your budget (usually a round roast or chuck roast here in the US) and go with it. And for Pete’s sake, don’t bother with the pre-cut stew meat packages. Save yourself the money and cut up a roast yourself!  Be sure that before you start searing your meat you pat it dry. Too much moisture on the meat will only make it steam in the pan instead of sear. The real key is to have patience – patience for searing the meat and patience for letting it simmer slowly for a couple hours. Believe me, you don’t want to skip those two steps…it’ll be so worth it in the end. So, let’s talk searing the meat.

Searing the Meat

Are you a flipper? Tossing your meat around constantly, not even giving it a chance to be great? Go ahead…admit it and get over it…cuz you don’t want to do that! Get yourself a really good heavy bottom skillet, cast iron skillet, or dutch oven (I have all 3 of these!).  In my humble opinion, non-stick does not give a good sear like these babies do! Next, drizzle about one tablespoon of canola oil in the pan, and crank the heat up on medium-high. Watch it carefully, and when the oil starts to swirl and smoke a bit (yes, smoke), then drop half of your stew meat pieces into the pan. Don’t put the entire batch in at once, and don’t put it in before your pan starts smoking, or you’ll just steam the meat!  Let it sit until you can freely turn the meat. The meat should be dark brown. If it’s sticking to the pan, leave it. It’s not fully seared. Once the first batch is done, remove from the pan to a plate, add another tablespoon of oil to the pan, and start the next batch.

One Pot Only

What I love about this recipe is it’s layers and layers….all in one pot. Once your meat is seared, do not rinse or scrape or any other crazy thing. Keep all those browned bits right in the pan, and proceed to the next step. Important in this particular recipe is you’re layering flavors step by step, building all that goodness that will ultimately simmer together and become very good friends.  Take your time with the steps. Don’t rush it. That’s how you get real depth of flavor that’ll delight your senses.

A Word on Gravy

The best way to get a rich, dark brown gravy is through a great sear on your meat. That’s why you leave the brown bits in the pan. The darker you can get your meat to sear, without burning it, the darker and richer your gravy will be.

Second thing…a lot of recipes will tell you to mix in flour at some point early in the cooking process. I prefer to make a cornstarch slurry and add it in the end. You don’t need to worry about “cooking off the flour taste” by using a cornstarch slurry, cornstarch won’t lump like flour can, and I think you can better control how thick or thin your gravy will be. The most important steps are: 1) ice cold water mixed well with your cornstarch; 2) bring your pan liquid to a boil and then slowly pour in your slurry, whisking constantly. Only add as much slurry as needed to reach your favored consistency of gravy. This process will hold true regardless of what kind of pan-drippings gravy you make, I guarantee it!

Last step – once your gravy is to your preferred thickness, taste your dish to see if it needs a bit more salt or pepper. Odds are pretty good it’ll need both…

How to Serve

You can serve this however you like. As shown in the picture, I like to make a well in mashed potatoes and pour a nice serving into the well. You can also serve on egg noodles, biscuits, or even on a thick slice of fresh bread…my dad used to call that “bread and soppy”…no idea why except we used to sop up the gravy with bread!

So, ready to start? Here’s the recipe, Irish brogue not included. Although if I listen carefully I can hear my tiny grandma who, while born in the US, must have carried bits of her ancestors’ brogue with her throughout her life. Sure do miss that little sprite! Sláinte!