Guinness is good for you! Corona is bad! Eat my Guinness stew and be healthy! I know, not funny, just trying to lighten things up around here. You know what they say: a Guinness a day keeps the doctor away! This is just the right set-it and forget-it kind of hearty dish I crave during these uncertain times. Something rich, delicious, comforting and approachable for the whole family.

I am loving boneless short rib steaks right now, which is a relatively new butcher cut in the markets. They are big (about the length of a New York Strip), thick, satisfying, trimmed of extra fat and easier to prepare than chunks of stew meat – it’s less time consuming to sear/brown large flat surfaces of three large pieces of meat than twenty small chunks. But yes, you can substitute stew meat if you can’t find this novelty cut in the chaos.

This braised short rib stew is basically the same as as a classic beef bourguignon, I’ve just subbed the red wine for Guinness instead.

Wishing you and yours a happy St. Patrick’s Day. Hunker down, social distance, flatten out the curve and be well! Slaínte! We will get through this! And Guinness will help!

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Ingredients

  • 3-4 short rib steaks (or any other stew meat is fine too) about 2.5-3 lbs
  • 2 slices bacon sliced into 1/2-inch strips (optional)
  • 2 carrots sliced
  • 1 yellow onion, diced
  • 1 leek, chopped (white and light green part only)
  • 2 celery stalks, diced
  • 2 garlic cloves, chopped
  • 3 sprigs of thyme
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 1 can of Guinness beer 4.9Fl ounces (use canned not bottled)
  • 3 cups brown chicken stock or beef stock
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • Peeled, cleaned and steamed separately baby carrots and baby potatoes
  • Parsley, thyme, rosemary to garnish

Heat a large cast iron dutch oven (casserole) over medium-high heat. Pat the short rib steaks dry and generously season with salt and pepper. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in the casserole, add the meat and hard sear until brown on all sides. Remove beef from the pan and add bacon and all the vegetables to brown. If necessary add a little more olive oil. Add the tomato paste and cook for one minute.

Pour in the Guinness and allow to come to a boil, then add the stock and again bring back up to a boil. Place browned meat back on top of the veggies, add the herbs and cover the Dutch oven with a tightly fitting lid and place in the oven at 350˚F. Cook for approximately 2 hours or a little more, meat needs to be fork tender, checking every 30 minutes and turning the short rib steaks over every hour. The cooking liquid should almost cover the short rib steaks.

Once the meat is soft and easily falls apart, remove the casserole and set on top of stove. Decant the beef onto a separate plate. Strain the remaining sauce from the vegetables and pour back into the casserole along with the short rib steaks.

Peel and trim the tops of the baby carrots and small potatoes. Steam separately until al dente and toss in a little butter for gloss. You can make these ahead and refrigerate until ready to serve and then just microwave to reheat.

To serve: Spoon sauce over short rib steaks, garnish with steamed and buttered vegetables, place small leaves of parsley decoratively along with thyme and even a shamrock or two. Pour some Guinness! Slainte!!!