Guinness Irish Beef Stew

This past Saturday, I made a new dish for dinner that I have to admit was amazingly good. My sweet Cameron especially loved it. Even if you're like me and don't enjoy the taste of beer, the flavors in this dish are so deep and complex that your mouth just says, "Yum!"

Guinness Irish Beef Stew

2 Tb. olive oil
2 lb. beef shoulder roast, cut into thin slices
1 onion, chopped
2 leeks, sliced
2 carrots, sliced
2 celery sticks, sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 ¼ cups well-reduced beef stock
2/3 cup stout Guinness
¼ cup butter
6 oz. thick-sliced bacon, chopped
8 oz. mini portabella mushrooms, sliced
3 oz. shallots, peeled and cut in half
¼ cup all-purpose flour
½ bag frozen carrots/peas

1.       Heat the olive oil in a large dutch oven and fry the meat, in batches, for a few minutes until evenly browned. Transfer to a plate. Saute the onion, leeks, carrots, and celery for 5 minutes in the pan.

2.       Add the meat back to dutch oven with the vegetables, and add the garlic. Pour in the stock and Guinness and stir well. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer gently for 1 ½ hours.

3.       Remove the meat from the pan and strain the cooking liquid and reserve. Discard the vegetables.

4.       Clean the pan. Then in the same pan, sauté the bacon, mushrooms and shallots in the butter for 5-10 minutes. When the vegetables are tender, sprinkle in the flour and cook, stirring, over low heat for 2-3 minutes, then slowly blend in the cooking liquid, and cook, stirring, until it thickens.

5.       Tear/chop meat into small pieces. Return the meat to the pan. Stir in carrots and peas. Reheat, stirring until well combined. Serve with mashed potatoes.