By Izzy Giacoppo, Cover Photo By Yvonne Harijanto (Unsplash)

Sometimes when we try new foods, we think to ourselves, “What on Earth could be in this that makes it so delicious?” This is one of the most enjoyable parts of trying new food. What makes it even more enjoyable is discovering what gets thrown together to concoct such a perfect meal. Once you discover all the components –some of which you never would have even guessed– everything comes together and starts to make sense. 

When you eat beef stew, it is not rocket science to figure out what is in it. You have carrots, peas, noodles, potatoes, and of course, beef. But obviously, just those five ingredients are not what make it a stew and give the stew all its flavor. You may know that a typical special ingredient in beef stew is red wine, but in this recipe, we substitute it with Guinness. 

Ingredients: 

3 lbs cubed beef (preferably Chuck; cubed beef can be found easily in your local market, so you do not need to cube it yourself) 

1 tsp salt

1 tsp black pepper

1/4 tsp garlic powder

3 tbsp vegetable oil

2 medium onions chopped

4 tbsp flour

1 can of Guinness

2 ½ cups beef stock

1 tsp Better Than Bouillon

2 bay leaves

4 medium potatoes, cubed 1 inch

4 carrots sliced

1 cup frozen peas, thawed

Broad egg noodles (optional) 

Preheat the oven to 250°F. Season and toss the cubed meat with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Heat 2 tbsp of oil in an oven safe pot, such as a Dutch oven, at medium-high heat. Add half of the beef and brown on all sides for about 5 minutes. Remove the beef and put it in a separate bowl. Add the remaining oil to the pot and brown the rest of the beef. Remove into a separate bowl once done. Depending on your pot’s size, you may have to brown the meat in more than two batches. Add onions to the empty pot and sauté for 5 minutes until softened. Stir in flour until lightly colored for about 2 minutes. Add the Guinness into the pot and then scrape any bits from the bottom of the pot. Let cook for two minutes. Then, add the stock, Better Than Bouillon, and bay leaf. Bring to a simmer. Add in the meat and cover the pot. Put in the oven for one hour. After one hour, remove the pot from the oven and add in carrots and potatoes. Place in the oven for another 2 hours. After 2 hours, take the pot out of the oven, add thawed peas, and let it stand for 5 minutes. We recommend serving the stew over broad egg noodles. The stew can be refrigerated for up to three days and also freezes well.

This stew is a wonderful way to feel warm and comforted during the rainy and snowy days leading to the upcoming spring season. On the note of bitterness, Guinness does not make this stew taste bitter, despite what some may assume. Instead, it gives the stew a rich flavor, even more so than red wine does in a stew.