Guinness Stew, take II

I've been on a quest to find the best tasting, most authentic traditional Guinness stew since I returned from my first trip to Ireland about 4 years ago. I've even blogged about Guinness stew, and made a pretty good recipe around St. Patrick's Day. Except, the flavor wasn't quite right, and it was a bit too runny. So, I kept searching. I found a recipe in a cooking blog I read occasionally that looked fantastic. My husband was hungry for stew, so I decided it was time.

The review? This is the right one. If you ever want to make a traditional Guinness stew, make this one. You won't regret it. It brought me right back to County Wicklow.

Beef in Guinness

from Thyme for Cooking

INGREDIENTS
1 lb (450 gr) beef suitable for stewing or braising
1 onion
2 cloves garlic
3 carrots
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1 pint Guinness
2 tsp beef paste (I used about a cup of beef stock)
1 TBSP oil
3 TBSP cornstarch
1 tbs paprika
salt & pepper
potatoes

Cut beef into 1" (2.5 cm) cubes. Cut onion into quarters, then slice thinly. Mince or press garlic. Cut carrots in half the long way, then into 1" (2.5cm) pieces.

Combine paprika and cornstarch in a plastic food bag. Add beef and toss to coat evenly.

In sauce pan large, enough to hold everything easily, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onion and sauté until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add beef and brown on all sides. Add garlic and sauté 1 minute more. Add remaining ingredients, bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer at least an hour.

If it starts to dry out, add more Guinness. If you would like the sauce thicker stir in 1 tbs cornstarch dissolved in 2 tbs water.

Add a lot of salt & pepper to taste. You also probably want to add some cayenne pepper, garlic salt, oregano, and paprika.

When ready to eat, remove bay leaf and serve with boiled jacket potatoes.