Irish Beef and Guinness Stew

On our recent visit to Boston, Matthew and I visited several of my favorite Irish Pubs and I had forgotten how much influence the Irish have in that city. My husband specially loved drinking Guinness while we were in Boston. This inspired me to make Irish stew...but not just any stew, this is Guinness Irish Stew! *By the way, there are no potatoes in this version, but you can add 2 large, peeled potatoes cut into 1" pieces to the stew.

INGREDIENTS (feeds 6 Minnesotans or 8 Californians)

• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 2 to 2-1/2 pounds boneless beef chuck roast, trimmed, cut into 2 1/2-inch pieces and seasoned with salt and freshly ground pepper
• 2 to 3 large onions, peeled and sliced
• 2 minced cloves garlic
• 1/4 cup all purpose flour
• 6 carrots, peeled and thickly sliced or 1 pound peeled baby carrots
• 1/2 teaspoon Thyme
• 2 quarts homemade beef stock, or canned low-salt beef broth
• 1 cup Guinness Stout
• 1 teaspoon caraway seeds
• 1 tablespoon raisins
• 1 tablespoon tomato puree
• Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoons minced parsley

DIRECTIONS

Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a Dutch oven or a kettle and brown the meat all at once over high heat, stirring constantly. Cook for about 5 minutes until the meat is lightly browned all over. Remove meat with tongs and set aside.

Reduce the heat in the Dutch oven or kettle to medium-high and add the onions and garlic. Cook the onions for 3 to 5 minutes or until soft but not browned. Add the flour and stir to coat the onions, about one more minute.

Transfer the meat back into the Dutch oven with the onions and garlic and add the remaining ingredients: carrots, thyme, *potatoes, beef broth, Guinness, caraway seeds, raisins, and tomato puree. Cover and cook over medium-low heat for 2 to 2-1/2 hours, or until the meat is tender. Adjust seasonings and sprinkle with chopped parsley before serving. Serve with creamy mashed potatoes on the side and Irish soda bread.

CHEERS!