Guinness Beef Stew and Classic Irish Soda Bread

[wigelnyatt]

Guinness Beef Stew:
‎2 lbs. beef stew meat
2 cups Guinness
1 garlic clove smashed
2 bay leaves

24 hours before starting the stew, marinate the beef cubes in the refrigerator with the above ingredients in a bag or non-reactive container. (For those that are shy, don’t marinate the meat, and just proceed with the rest of the recipe.)

When you are ready to begin, drain off the marinade and discard the garlic and bay leaves.

1 onion chopped
2 celery ribs chopped
1 large leek, white part only, chopped or sliced
Butter

Sweat the vegetables in a deep cast iron skillet or Dutch oven for about 5-7 mins.
Remove and set aside.

Coat the beef cubes in 1"2 cup flour and 2 tsp. black pepper. Add some more butter to the pan and brown the meat. Remove meat.

Deglaze the pan with 2 cups of fresh Guinness.

Now either put the all above ingredients into a crock pot or continue on your stove top in your cast iron Dutch oven.

Add 2-3 cups homemade beef stock, 2 cans of beef broth, OR 2 cups boiling water with 2 beef bullion cubes. (I prefer homemade stock)

Add:
A handful or more baby carrots
2 parsnips, peeled and cut up
1 medium turnip, peeled and cubed
A Bouquet garni (tied cheese cloth ball) of 3 sprigs fresh parsley, 2 sprigs fresh thyme, 1 bay leaf, and 8-10 black pepper corns)
Mushrooms(optional)

Bring to a boil on the stove top, reduce heat, cover and simmer for about 1 1"2 hours or until meat and vegetables are tender.
(If using a Crock Pot, about 4 hours on high or 8 hours on low.)

Before serving add a Tbsp. of corn starch mixed with some cold water…to thicken.

Serve with mashed or boiled potatoes and fresh Irish soda bread. Regular butter is great but Kerrygold is even better!
Classic Irish Soda Bread:

4 cups flour

1 1"2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking SODA

2 cups buttermilk (milk with tablespoon or 2 lemon juice…let it sit & curdle a minute before you add it to flour mixture)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Grease an 8″ cast iron skillet. In large bowl toss together dry ingredients. Add buttermilk…stir briskly with fork til dough forms together in a rough mass. Knead on a liberally floured surface for about 30 secs. Pat into a 8″ round about 1 1"2 thick (mine is always thicker than that) Slash a large 1"4″ deep cross across the top. Place in cast iron skillet & bake 45-50 mins.until nicely browned and the cross has spread open. Transfer to a rack to cool, then wrap in a slightly damp tea towel and let it rest for 8 hours.

[DATsBBQ]

Sounds like it would be good dish for camp, using a cast iron dutch oven. It would give me an excuse to buy some Guiness -Stopped drinking it years ago as every pint I put away got stored around my belly