Guinness Beef Stew

Tiffany Cohen has been cooking since she was 12 years old, and has a blog called Whatcha Cooking Good 
Looking, which showcases her love for food and creating great memories with family and friends. Contact her at 
whatchacookinggoodlooking@gmail.com.

    Does anything say Happy St. Patrick’s Day more than an ice-cold Guinness?  I guess maybe some Corned Beef and Cabbage does, but for those who don’t fancy some Corned Beef, I’ve got an awesome alternative for your St. Patty’s Day!  Guinness Beef Stew. Yes, it’s as rich and delicious as it sounds.
    We start it all off with bacon, so I mean, can we really go wrong from here?  Nope!  Tender beef, an entire bottle of Guinness (ya heard me right!), tomato sauce, plus lots of veggies and aromatics.  It’s super rich, kinda sweet, a lot savory, and all in all, amazing.  Oh, and it’s make-ahead, so it’s perfect for your party. Just reheat when you’re ready to serve.  It will definitely be your new St. Patrick’s Day favorite.

Ingredients
•    1 package of thick cut bacon 
    (you can use less if you’d like, but you need at
    least 6 slices)
•    1 1/2 – 2 lbs stew beef 
    (can be found in the beef section of your 
    supermarket)
•    3 tablespoons flour
•    1 teaspoon granulated garlic
•    Salt and pepper
•    2–3 teaspoons olive oil 
    (if needed to cook meat)
•    2 medium onions, cut into thin half moons
•    3 garlic cloves, chopped
•    6 carrots, peeled and chopped into 
    1 inch pieces
•    10–15 baby tri-colored potatoes or white
    baby potatoes, cut in 4s
•    1 bottle of Guinness Draught Stout
•    1–1 1/2 cups beef broth
•    1 8 oz. can Hunts Tomato Sauce
•    2 teaspoons gravy master
•    1 teaspoon soy sauce
•    2 sprigs rosemary
•    Water as needed
•    1 package egg noodles (optional)
•    1 tablespoon butter (optional)
•    3 tablespoons Pecorino Romano

Instructions

    In a large Dutch oven or pot, over medium to medium-high heat, cook the bacon.  Turn the heat down to medium if the bacon starts cooking too fast.  While the bacon is cooking, combine the flour, granulated garlic, salt and pepper in a medium bowl. 
    Take the meat and set it out on a cutting board.  Cut the larger pieces of meat into 1 1/2 inch chunks, lightly salt and pepper the meat, and toss into the flour mixture.  Coat each piece.  Continue checking on the bacon throughout this process.  Once the bacon is crispy, transfer to a paper towel lined plate.
    If there is not a lot of bacon grease left in the pot (chances are though, you should have more than enough in the pan where you don’t need to add oil), add 2-3 teaspoons of olive oil.  Add the meat to the pot, shaking off any excess flour, and begin to brown.  Cook at 4 minutes each side.  
    Add the onions, garlic, salt and pepper and cook until the onions start to soften (about 3-5 minutes).  Then, add the carrots and potatoes.  Salt and pepper to them as well.  Cook it all up for about 5 minutes.  Add the bacon back to the pot.  Mix well. 
    Add the beer and bring to a boil. Cook for about 2-3 minutes.
    Next, add 1 cup of beef broth, tomato sauce, gravy master, soy sauce, and rosemary.  Add more beef broth to cover the stew completely, if needed.  The ingredients must be immersed in the liquid so they can cook.  Bring to a boil, then simmer on medium low for about 2 hours. If you find the stew has boiled down and is not covering the veggies and meat any longer, just add a bit of water and mix to combine.  
    If you would like to serve with egg noodles, about 15 minutes before serving, put up a pot of water and boil the egg noodles.  Once they are done and drained, add the butter and cheese. 
    Remove the rosemary sprigs from the pot.  Serve the beef stew over the egg noodles.  Enjoy!