Beef and Guinness Stew
Ingreadient
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4 slices bacon, cut into small pieces
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2 ½ pounds boneless beef chuck, cut into 2-inch pieces
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1 ½ teaspoons salt, divided, or more to taste
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freshly ground black pepper to taste
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2 onions, coarsely chopped
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4 cloves garlic, minced
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1 (14.9 ounce) can dark beer (such as Guinness)
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¼ cup tomato paste
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3 carrots, cut into 1-inch pieces
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2 ribs celery, cut into 1-inch pieces
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4 sprigs fresh thyme
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1 teaspoon white sugar
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½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
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2 ½ cups chicken stock, or as needed to cover
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4 cups mashed potatoes (Optional)
Direction
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Gather all ingredients.
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Cook and stir bacon in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat until bacon is browned and crisp, 3 to 4 minutes. Turn off the heat and transfer bacon into a large stew pot, reserving bacon fat in the skillet.
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Season beef chuck cubes generously with 1 teaspoon salt and black pepper to taste. Turn heat to high under the skillet and sear beef pieces in the hot fat on both sides until browned, about 5 minutes. Place beef in the stew pot with bacon, leaving fat in the skillet.
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Turn heat down to medium; cook and stir onions in the retained fat in the skillet until lightly browned, 5 to 8 minutes; season with a large pinch of salt.
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Cook garlic with onions until soft, about 1 minute. Pour beer into the skillet and stir with a wooden spoon, scraping up and dissolving any browned bits of food into the liquid.
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Pour cooking liquid from the skillet into the stew pot. Stir in tomato paste, carrots, celery, thyme sprigs, sugar, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, and enough chicken broth to cover.
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Bring stew to a gentle simmer, stirring to combine; reduce heat to low and cover pot.
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Simmer stew until beef is fork-tender, about 2 hours.
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Stir stew occasionally and skim fat or foam if desired.
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Remove cover and raise heat to medium-high. Bring stew to a low boil and cook until stew has slightly thickened, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove and discard thyme sprigs and adjust salt and pepper to taste.
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Arrange mashed potatoes in a ring in a serving bowl; ladle stew into the center of the potatoes.
