Cooking Goodness with Guinness - Beef in Stout

"Beef in Stout", Favourite Casserole Recipes, J. Salmon, Ltd.

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Over the years - from the 1990s to early 2000s - every time we visited England, I would always try and pick up a different mini cookbook in the "Favourite" series.  With such titles as "Favourite Teatime Recipes", "Favourite Yorkshire Recipes" and "Favourite Farmhouse Recipes" ... how can you go wrong?  Always in the gift shops at many of the tourist traps (and usually right at the cashier) and only 99p. These little cookbooks were so nice and small and fit easily in the suitcase. Then, one English relative, who had noticed I was collecting these; started mailing new ones to me each Christmas.  I now have a wonderful collection of these mini cookbooks - store in an old vintage tin of course. I haven't seen them for sale on our last few trips so this collection means even more to me now.

This recipe comes from "Favourite Casserole Recipes" and I have altered it slightly (as you do!).  It calls for one can of Guinness ... but make sure you buy more than one, in case you have a fan in your house.  My husband loves this stew and his only complaint is that I don't buy a can of Guinness for him!

You will need:

1 lb stewing steak
   (1/2 small  package)
1 tbsp olive oil
a walnut of butter
1 white onion, diced
2 tbsps flour
2 or 3 carrots, sliced
    length-ways
1 tsp brown sugar
Salt & pepper

1/2 to 3/4 pint Guinness stout (save the rest for hubby or you're in trouble!)

Pouring in the Guinness ... not the sound you might expect!

Thickening nicely ...

What you do:

Heat the oil and butter in a large frying pan and brown the meat.  Remove meat and set aside. Fry the onions in the pan. Then quickly stir in the flour and seasoning to taste. Return the meat to the pan and add the carrots and sugar. Pour in the stout. Stir well, bring to a boil, then cover and simmer gently for 2 to 2 1/2 hours - stirring now and then. Cook until the meat is tender.  

I serve with roast potatoes but it's nice with mash too.  Serve with a green salad ... if you must!

This is a simply sumptuous meal! You will notice the gravy thicken and bubble beautifully.  It is imperative that you keep the heat low to low medium.  This is a very slow cooking meal ... but so easy to prepare and worth the wait.  Comfort food at its best!

Meadow Sweet Grove © V. Buchanan 2019 / edited 2021