Slow Cooker Guinness Stew

 

 
2 Tbsp butter

2 pounds well-marbled chuck beef roast, cut into 2-inch pieces

2 cups chopped onion

2 celery stalks, chopped

2 Tbsp tomato paste

1 pint (16 ounces) Guinness extra stout (make sure you use extra stout and not draught)

3 cups beef broth

2 large carrots, peeled and cut into chunks

2-3 parsnips, peeled and cut into chunks

1 pound young turnips, peeled and cut into chunks

2 teaspoons dried thyme

Salt

2 Tbsp cornstarch (for thicker stew only)

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley (optional)

Heat the butter in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Brown the beef in the butter, starting with the fattiest pieces of meat, fat side down in the pan. This will allow some beef fat to render out. Work in batches as to not crowd the pan.  Sprinkle salt over the beef as it browns. Once browned on all sides, transfer the beef pieces into the slow cooker.

Add the onions and celery to the pan in which you just browned the beef. Sauté the onions and celery until they begin to brown at the edges, about 5 minutes. Add the tomato paste and mix well. Cook for a minute or two, then add a little of the Guinness, enough to make it easier for you to scrape up any browned bits at the bottom of the pan. Transfer the celery and onions into the slow cooker.

Add the rest of the Guinness, the beef broth, carrots, parsnips, turnips, and thyme to the slow cooker. Add two teaspoons of salt. Cover and cook on "high" for 4 hours, or "low" for 8 hours. In the last hour, if you would like a thicker stew, mix 2T cornstarch with ¼ cup of the stew broth in a small bowl. Add this slurry to the stew and stir vigorously for a minute. When done, add more salt to taste. If you want, sprinkle with fresh parsley to serve.

recipe adapted from www.simplyrecipes.com