Crock Pot Guinness Beef Stew

There’s nothing better than a steamy hot bowl of hearty stew, served with a fresh baguette, smeared with some butter. The best part of this recipe is that it’s delicious and requires little effort. You can make it in the morning and have dinner ready when you get home from work.

Ingredients
4 medium/large potatoes
2 carrots
3 stocks of celery
1 onion
1 pound of cubed lean beef (see Pot Roast post for details on the beef I used)
2 tbsp of olive oil
1 bottle of Guinness beer
2-3 dried bay leaves
salt and pepper to taste
1 tsp dried thyme
2-3 cups of beef stock
3-4 tbsp of butter
3-4 tbsp flour and a bit extra to cover the beef

First, toss the beef in a bowl with a sprinkling of flour, salt, and pepper. Pour the olive oil into a pot or pan and turn the heat up to medium-high. Place the floured beef in the pot and brown on all sides. Avoid crowding the pan and cook in small batches.

Next, clean, peel, and chop the vegetables into medium chunks. We left the peels on the potatoes this time and the stew turned out as tasty as ever.

Add the beef, spices, and vegetables into the crock pot. Pour the beer in next. Then, pour 2-3 cups of beef stock over the veggies and beef so everything is covered. (You may need more or less stock depending on your crock pot and how many vegetables you used).

Turn the crock pot on low for 6-8 hours or high for about 4 hours.

Relax and have a delicious treat, because you deserve it.

After the time is up or your vegetables have cooked through and you can cut the meat with a spoon, it’s time to spoon out the meat and veggies with a slotted spoon. Set aside.

 Using the flour and butter in an even ratio whip up a rue. (To make a rue, simply heat equal parts butter and flour over a very low temperature, while stirring constantly).  Then, slowly add the liquid from the stew and thicken, while stirring constantly over low heat and bring to a boil. Once the liquid has become thick (similar to gravy), pour back into the crock pot. Add the meat and veggies and give it a stir until evenly combined. This process helps to make your stew creamy and the right consistency. If you prefer it runnier, like a soup, you can skip this step.

Serve hot, with thick crusty bread and butter.

Makes 6-8 servings