This Irish Guinness Stew recipe is the perfect comfort food for celebrating Saint Paddy's Day or any cold winter night. Easy and Delicious!
(Updated post)
Phil took one bite of this Irish Guinness Stew and immediately decreed that I should forget about every other stew recipe from now on and just make THIS.
Why Make-Ahead Irish Guinness Stew?
Stews are one thing that I make at least a day before we plan to eat them. There are several advantages to this strategy:
- You can make the stew "in the background" on a less hectic weekend morning or afternoon (if you have those, that is).
- The flavors deepen and marry as the stew sits in the refrigerator.
- There is no need to de-grease the stew with the work-ahead method. Simply scrape any accumulated, solidified fat from the top of the soup before reheating.
- Having to simply heat the soup through before serving makes this an ideal dinner for busy weeknights.
The meat for Irish Guinness Stew
First, a rant about frugality and stew meat...
I never buy pre-cut "stew meat." First, you always pay extra for the convenience of having the meat cut into chunks for you.
Second, "stew meat" might as well be called "odds and ends." Not only are the chunk sizes frequently all over the map, but they're also often not even from the same cut of meat.
This means that lean and fat cuts are randomly mixed together.
I probably don't have to tell you that this means inconsistent cooking, and therefore, not good eats.
Lamb vs. beef in Irish Guinness Stew
You can use either lamb or beef in Irish Guinness Stew.
With that being said, it's sometimes easier (and more economical) to find a good chuck roast.
Also, almost everyone loves beef and already knows how it will taste. Lamb is a different story though…
While I absolutely adore lamb shoulder (or leg of lamb) in the stew, lamb does have a unique flavor profile. I would describe it as a richer flavor than beef, but to some it's "gamey."
About the vegetables
Crock pot stews fall down in the veggie department.
By the time the meat is fall-apart tender, much of the veg will have...well, fallen apart.
For this reason, because I want the potatoes and carrots to shine, I par-cook them (by steaming or boiling) until they're tender. Then I add them to the stew for the last 30 minutes of cooking.
You can do this part up to a day in advance. Just keep the veggies refrigerated in an airtight container.
You can choose not to par-cook the potatoes and carrots and just add them about 3 hours before your meat is done if you prefer.
The exception to this rule is the onion and celery.
I use them in forming the base of the soup, so they melt right into the finished broth.
If you'd like, add in some frozen pearl onions near the end of the cook time.
A traditional Irish Guinness stew will have parsnips, either instead of or in addition to the potatoes.
My grocery was a bit sad in the parsnip department, so this recipe for Irish Guinness Stew went without. However, you're welcome to add them back in if that's your preference.
About the Guinness beer
We use a 14-oz can of Guinness Stout for this recipe. You can also use Guinness Draught.
The beer will be added to beef stock and the juices from the beef itself.
The stew cooks for several hours, during which time the alcohol cooks out of the Guinness.
All we're left with at the end is a deliciously complex, rich broth with no detectable "beery flavor." Obviously, it's not Irish Guinness Stew without the Guinness, but I do offer an option if you'd rather leave the alcohol out.
Final thoughts
The thickness of the broth for this stew is how I like it—I'd call it "middle of the road"—but I understand that this is not everyone's preference.
The good news is that fixing the consistency of the broth is really easy. The cornstarch slurry hack that I explain in my recipe notes is tried and true.
If you don't already know it, you'll want to file it away in your memory banks because it's invaluable for fixing the thickness not only of stews, but also gravies and other sauces.
Has it saved my Thanksgiving gravy more than once? YOU BET.
To make this a really traditional Irish meal, serve Make-ahead Irish Guinness Stew over mashed potatoes or colcannon (mashed potatoes with cabbage and aromatics mixed in—HEAVEN).
Leftover Make-ahead Irish Guinness Stew will taste EVEN BETTER.
I have frozen the leftovers as well. Even though cooked potatoes don't always freeze well, for us the thawed and reheated stew was still fabulous.
This recipe illustrates how you can break a more difficult, involved recipe into a couple of days. This is the "Saucy Two-Step/Work-Ahead" move from the Flipped-Out Food Playbook.
This strategy enables you to deliver delicious, gourmet meals even on busy weeknights. I hope that you love cooking this way. Bon Appetit!
—xoxo Michelle
Make-Ahead Guinness Irish Stew
Make-ahead Irish Guinness Stew is the perfect comfort food for celebrating Saint Paddy's Day. Beef is slowly simmered in Guinness Stout to achieve an incomparably rich, complex broth. Make it in advance in the oven or crockpot for an easy meal during the busy workweek. To make it truly traditional, serve over mashed potatoes or colcannon.
Ingredients
- 3 lbs lamb shoulder OR beef chuck roast, , trimmed and cut into ~¾" cubes
- 4 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 4 tablespoon vegetable oil,, divided (more if necessary)
- 1 large onion,, diced
- 3 celery stalks,, washed, trimmed, and diced
- 2 garlic cloves,, minced
- 2 sprigs sprigs fresh rosemary, , needles removed and minced, stem reserved
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme,, leaves removed and minced (discard stems)
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tablespoon Asian fish sauce, (see Recipe Note #1)
- 14 oz Guinness Stout:, look for 14-oz. cans; you can also use Guinness Draught. (See Recipe Note #2)
- 3 cups beef stock
- 1 lb baby potatoes,, washed and cut in half
- 3 cups baby carrots,, washed and cut in half
- 2 tablespoon cornstarch, (if necessary: see Recipe Note #3)
Instructions
MAKE-AHEAD IRISH GUINNESS STEW: OVEN METHOD
- Preheat oven to 325º. Dry the meat with paper towels and add to a mixing bowl. Season the flour with the salt and pepper, then dust over the meat cubes. Mix well to coat. Set a heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat and add 2 tbsp. of the vegetable oil. When the oil is hot, add ¼ of the meat cubes (dust off any excess flour). Brown the meat cubes deeply on at least two sides, then remove to a bowl and add the next small batch of meat cubes. Repeat until all meat cubes have been browned, adding more oil as necessary between batches to prevent the pot from drying out.
- Reduce heat to medium and add the diced onion and celery, adding more oil to the pot if needed. Sauté until softened, 4-5 minutes. Add the garlic, rosemary stem and needles, thyme leaves, and bay leaves; sauté for an additional minute. Add in the fish sauce. Stir for 30 seconds, scraping any browned bits off the bottom of the pot. Add the Guinness (IF your Guinness contains a nitrogen capsule [you can hear it rattling in the can], allow it to discharge for 10 seconds after cracking the can open). Continue to stir and scrape for 1 minute. Add the meat cubes back to the pot along with any accumulated juices. Add the beef stock; stir to combine. Lid the pot and place into the oven.
- Steam or par-boil the remaining vegetables until you can pierce them easily with a paring knife (there shouldn't be any resistance at all; see Recipe Note #3). Add the vegetables to the stew for the last 30 minutes of cook time. During this final 30 minutes, leave the lid cracked open slightly.
- Remove the pot from the oven after the vegetables have cooked for 30 minutes (the stew has now cooked for 3h total). Place the pot into a sink filled ¼ of the way with cold water. Let cool for 15–20 minutes. Dry the bottom of the pot and transfer to the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
MAKE-AHEAD IRISH GUINNESS STEW: SLOW-COOKER METHOD
- Dry the meat with paper towels and add to a mixing bowl. Season the flour with the salt and pepper, then dust over the meat cubes. Mix well to coat. Set a heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat and add 2 tbsp. of the vegetable oil. When the oil is hot, add ¼ of the meat cubes (dust off any excess flour). Brown the meat cubes deeply on at least two sides, then remove to the crock of your slow-cooker and add the next small batch of meat cubes. Repeat until all meat cubes have been browned, adding more oil as necessary between batches to keep the pot from drying out.
- Reduce heat to medium and add the diced onion and celery, adding more oil to the pot if needed. Sauté until softened, 4-5 minutes. Add the garlic, rosemary stem and needles, thyme leaves, and bay leaves; sauté an additional minute. Add in the fish sauce. Stir for 30 seconds, scraping any browned bits off the bottom of the pot. Add the Guinness (IF your Guinness contains a nitrogen capsule [you can hear it rattling in the can], allow it to discharge for 10 seconds after cracking the can open). Continue to stir and scrape for 1 minute.
- Scoop the contents of the pot into the crock of your slow-cooker along with the beef cubes and any accumulated juices. If there are still browned bits on the bottom of the pot, add the beef stock and continue to scrape. Transfer to the slow-cooker. (Otherwise, add the beef stock directly to the slow-cooker.)
- Lid the slow-cooker and set on low for at least 6 hours and up to 8. Meanwhile, steam or par-boil the remaining vegetables until you can pierce them easily with a paring knife (there shouldn't be any resistance at all). Add the vegetables to the stew for the last 30 minutes of cook time (turn the slow-cooker to high; see Recipe Note #3).
- Cool the stew by placing the crock of the slow cooker into a sink filled ¼ of the way with cool water. Remove the stew to an airtight container and refrigerate.
SERVING DAY (FOR BOTH COOKING METHODS)
- On the day that you plan to eat the stew, remove the pot/storage container from the refrigerator and skim off any solidified fat that has accumulated on top of the stew. Reheat in a heavy-bottomed pot over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally. Check seasoning, adjusting as necessary. (See Recipe Note #4 for adjusting thickness.) Serve with a chunk of crusty bread, or over mashed potatoes or colcannon. Enjoy!
Notes
- Adding Asian fish sauce will not result in a fishy flavor. It's the same concept as adding Worcestershire sauce: it adds a complex umami/salty flavor to the broth.
- The alcohol cooks almost entirely out of the broth and is not detectable as an alcoholic/beery flavor. If you cannot consume alcohol, you can simply substitute an additional 1 and ¾ cups of beef broth. It won't be the same, but it will still be delicious. In this case, the stew is more of a traditional beef or lamb stew (i.e., not Irish).
- You can par-cook the vegetables up to a day in advance: just keep them in an air-tight container in the refrigerator. You don't have to par-cook the vegetables (just be aware that they may be overcooked. Don't worry: the stew will still be yummy). If you choose to skip this step, simply add the potatoes and carrots when you return the browned meat cubes to the pot (or crock of the slow-cooker).
- Adjusting the thickness of the broth. On the day that you're planning to serve the stew (i.e., when the stew is reheated):
- If the broth is too thick for your liking, simply add additional beef stock or water until the stew reaches the consistency you prefer (go slowly!).
- If you prefer a thicker stew, the first option is to simmer the stew with the lid off for about 30 minutes to reduce the liquid. Or, you can use the cornstarch slurry method: mix 2 tablespoon of cornstarch with 2 tablespoon of cold water. Mix ONE TABLESPOON of the slurry into the simmering stew and let thicken for 30 seconds. Stir. If the stew is still not quite thick enough, add additional cornstarch slurry 1 teaspoon at a time (re-mix first!), following the steps above, until the stew reaches your preferred thickness. Don't go beyond the 4 tablespoon total of slurry, though, or you risk the stew becoming "sandy" in texture.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1 gramsAmount Per Serving: Unsaturated Fat: 0g
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About Us
Hi there! We're Michelle and Phil, the blogging duo behind flipped out food. Our mission is to inspire you with our favorite strategies for delivering easy, healthy dishes—even at the busiest of times.
Cat | Curly's Cooking says
I love adding Guinness to beef stew. Definitely agree with making it ahead of time so all of the yummy flavours can develop.
Michelle says
Guinness totally is the bomb. And yes, these days any time that I make stew, it's a day before I plan to eat it!
Rebecca - Glutarama says
I'm all for this type of cooking. Make it, leave it for hours to cook, not only do you get the delicious smells in the kitchen all day but I personally get a real sense of achievement from stews and pot cooking. Reckon my family will love this so will be giving this a go over the next week or so. #CookOnceEatTwice
Michelle says
Thanks, Rebecca! I love having dinner cooking in the background while I work. The smells are just amazing!
Nico @ yumsome says
Back in the days when I used to eat meat, I used to make Irish stew with neck of lamb, which was really cheap, and so full of flavour. It was probably actually my favourite meat. Now I either use seitan or soy - being vegan is no reason not to eat Irish stew, right?!
Yours looks so delicious - I can almost smell the heady aroma from here! Yum!
(Being vegan also doesn't mean I've lost the ability to appreciate *all* kinds of food!)
#CookOnceEatTwice
Michelle says
Thank you, Nico! Yes, absolutely enjoy veganized Irish stew! And I've seen your blog: you have only the HIGHEST appreciation of food! I think I wouldn't even mind being vegan after seeing your recipes! (The hubster is an entirely different matter, though! 😀 )
Monika Dabrowski says
This is a delicious sounding dish, rich and warming and really convenient as a weeknight dinner idea if you make it ahead. I am gearing up to buying a slow cooker and this would make a great recipe to try. Thank you for bringing it to #CookBlogShare:)
Michelle says
Thank you, Monika! My slow-cooker is an absolute lifesaver: I can't imagine being without it! 😉
Corina Blum says
I love making stews in advance and then reheating them before serving. I often make dinner earlier in the day and then reheat half of it later in the evening and then the rest the next day. This would be perfect for that. In fact, it really is the perfect #CookOnceEatTwice meal so thanks so much for sharing!
Michelle says
Thank you, Corina! I used to make stews to eat on the same day and then look forward to the leftovers, since I knew they'd be even better. Now, we just wait: it's worth it!
Jo Allison / Jo's Kitchen Larder says
I do love good old Irish stew and yours look delicious! I simply want to dive straight in! I definitely agree that stews should be prepared at least a day in advance for all the flavours to mingle nicely! Oh dear, it's almost time for bed and I'm getting hungry now lol 🙂
Michelle says
Thank you so much, Jo! Going to bed hungry is THE WORST!!! 😀