Beef Stew is a simple dish. You cook Beef and Vegetables in stock OR water until soft and season with Salt & Pepper. Guinness Beer is popularly used, and many people add Tomato Paste and Herbs. There are many different methods, and this is how I cook it. I have found it difficult to cook everything in my stew pot that is not very large, so I use a frying pan. Cook Bacon, Beef, then Onion and Garlic, all separately in a frying pan. It is super easy and anyone can cook this Stew.

Makes

4 Servings

Ingredients

1kg Beef for stewing *e.g. Casserole Beef, cut into chunky 4-5cm pieces
Salt & Black Pepper
2 tablespoons Plain Flour *optional, read ‘Method 1’
About 80g Bacon *cut into small pieces
Oil for cooking *I used Canola Oil
1 Onion *cut into small pieces
2 cloves Garlic *finely chopped
1 can (440ml) Guinness Beer
3 tablespoons Tomato Paste
2 Carrots *cut into chunky pieces
2 Celery Stalks *cut into chunky pieces
2 cups Beef Stock OR Stock of your choice *Note: I used 2 cups Water and 1 Stock Cube
1 Bay Leaf
2-3 sprigs Thyme
1/2 to 1 teaspoon Sugar *optional, read ‘Method 8’
Mashed Potatoes to serve

Method
  1. Cut Beef into chunky 4-5cm pieces, season with Salt and Black Pepper, and coat with Plain Flour. Prepare other ingredients. *Note: Flour coating will help to thicken the soup. You can omit it.
  2. Heat a small amount of Oil in a frying pan over medium high heat, cook Bacon pieces. When nicely browned, transfer Bacon pieces, but not with oil, into a pot that you use for stewing.
  3. Cook 1/2 Beef pieces, turning over occasionally, until browned. Transfer to the pot, add extra Oil to the pan, cook remaining 1/2 Beef pieces, and transfer to the pot.
  4. Lower the heat to medium, add a small amount of Oil if required, cook Onion for a few minutes, add Garlic, and stir. Add Guinness Beer, stir and scrape all the yummy stuff on the pan, then pour everything into the pot.
  5. Add Tomato Paste, Carrot and Celery, then add Beef Stock (OR Stock of your choice). Add extra Water if necessary, just enough to cover.
  6. Add Bay Leaf and Thyme, cover with a lid, and bring it to the boil over high heat. Once boiling, remove any unwanted scum on the surface, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 1-2 hours OR until Beef is soft. *Note: Today I cooked 1 hour and 15 minutes.
  7. Remove the lid, and remove unwanted Fat and Oil on surface. Taste the soup and add extra Salt (probably you won’t need any) and Black Pepper to taste. A small amount of Sugar might improve the flavour. Simmer further 5 to 10 minutes until the sauce is slightly thickened.
  8. *Note: If you need to thicken the soup more, add a mixture of Corn Starch and Water (OR Flour and Water). You won’t need a lot. Make sure the mixture is smooth and thin.
  9. Serve with creamy Mashed Potatoes. *Note: I sprinkled with some fresh Thyme leaves.