Irish Beef and Stout Stew

• 220 g raw Beef chuck, trimmed of fat (7.8 oz raw)
• 8 g All-purpose flour (1 tbsp)
• 1.5 g Salt (¼ tsp)
• 0.5 g Black pepper (¼ tsp)
• 5 g Olive oil (1 tsp)
• 80 g raw Onion (2.8 oz raw)
• 10 g Tomato paste (⅔ tbsp)
• 150 g Stout or dark beer (⅔ cup)
• 250 g Low-sodium beef broth (1 cups)
• 0.5 g Dried thyme (½ tsp)
• 0.6 g (1 bay leaf) Bay leaf
• 100 g raw Carrots (3.5 oz raw)
• 180 g raw Potatoes (6.3 oz raw)
• 3 g raw Fresh parsley (¾ tbsp chopped)

You'll need: Heavy casserole pot with a lid (oven-safe), Bowl, Tongs, Wooden spoon, Knife, Cutting board.

Method

1. Flour the beef

   Heat the oven to 160°C (325°F). Pat the beef dry and cut it into 4 cm (1½ inch) chunks. Toss with the flour, salt and pepper in a bowl.

   Dry beef browns. Wet beef steams. Pat it with paper towels.

2. Brown the beef

   Heat the oil in the pot over medium-high heat. Brown the beef in two batches for about 2 minutes a side, until dark brown. Lift it onto a plate.

   Don't crowd the pot. Crowded beef goes gray instead of brown.

3. Build the sauce

   Add the chopped onion and cook for 4 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste for 1 minute. Pour in the beer and scrape up the brown bits from the bottom of the pot. Add the broth, thyme and bay leaf and bring to a simmer.

   The brown bits on the bottom are the flavor of the stew. Scrape them all up.

4. Braise in the oven

   Put the beef back in with the carrots cut into thick chunks. Cover with the lid, move the pot to the oven and braise for 1½ hours.

   Keep the lid on. The steam keeps the beef tender.

5. Add the potatoes

   Stir in the potatoes cut into chunks and cook, covered, for 40 minutes more, until the beef falls apart when pressed with a spoon (far past the safe 63°C / 145°F) and the potatoes are tender. Take out the bay leaf and scatter the chopped parsley over the top.

   Fish out the bay leaf before serving. It's tough and not for eating.

Swaps

• Stout or dark beer → More beef broth plus 1 tsp of tomato pasteAn alcohol-free version with a similar depth.
• Beef chuck → Beef shinBoth turn tender with the same long cook.