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I'm making my annual favorite

IRISH BEEF STEW WITH GUINNESS STOUT

Hearty beef stew for the Irish and the Irish at heart

Ingredients
4 tablespoons olive oil or butter

6 bay leaves tied together with string

4 lbs beef stew meat,

2 large yellow onions, peeled and cut into 1/4

4 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped

2 teaspoons dried thyme

2 tablespoons parsley, chopped

2 teaspoons dried rosemary

4 Tablespoons dark Roux (see recipe below)

2 8 oz cans beef broth ( option: a third can may be added later as it cooks)
2 6 oz cans tomato paste ( option: a third can may be added later as it cooks)
1 bottle Guinness stout ( option: a second bottle may be added later as it cooks)
3 tablespoons brown sugar

1 Lb baby carrots

2 LB new potatoes

Option Note: 1 six-pack of Guinness is sufficient. I used almost 2 bottles in the stew, the rest for drinking. Buy a 3rd can of tomato paste and beef broth incase you wish to increase liquid later in cooking. I added the extra cans and also more brown sugar and it turned out great.

Directions:
1. Melt the butter in an oven proof stockpot and brown meat on all sides. Sear the meat well on high heat, seasoning with salt and pepper, and maybe some cayenne as it cooks. Remove the meet from the pot and set aside.
2. Add to the stockpot the onions and cook a few minutes until they are clear.
3. Reduce the heat to low and deglaze the pot with one bottle of Guinness scrapping the sides of the pot well. Add the garlic, thyme, rosemary and roux and stir until smooth.
4. Add the beef broth, bay leaves, tomato paste ,and brown sugar; simmer, stirring until the stew thickens a bit. Add the meet back, and the potatoes and carrots. *At this time add more beef broth, tomato paste, Guinness, or roux as needed, getting the thickness and flavor just the way you like it. Check for salt and pepper. Cover pot.
5. Place the pot in the oven at 300 F: for 2-3 hours, stirring a couple of times.
8-12 servings Cooking time 2hr 30 minutes

Dark Roux: Ingredients needed:
• ½ cup oil • 1 cup flour
In a saucepan, heat oil over medium heat until just smoking. Whisk in flour, a little at a time and cook, whisking constantly, until roux becomes smooth and thick. Continue until roux becomes a rich brown nutty color, about 25 minutes. Yield: about 1:1/2 cup

My Favorite Quote:
"If all else fails, I will retreat up the valley of Virginia, plant my flag on the Blue Ridge, rally around the Scotch-Irish of that region, and make my last stand for liberty amongst a people who will never submit to British tyranny whilst there is a man left to draw a trigger."
George Washington, at Valley Forge.

From this descendent of the Scots-Irish I bid you all a very HAPPY ST. PATRICK’S DAY.