Irish Beef Stew

By Addie

Ingredients

• 2 pounds beef
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 12-ounce stout beer (or red wine)
• 2 tablespoons quick-cooking tapioca (thickener)
• 6 large carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 10 small potatoes, washed and cut into bite size pieces
• 2 cups frozen pearl onions
• 1 14-ounce can beef broth
• 3 bay leaves
• Salt and black pepper to taste
• Sprig of rosemary or thyme, optional

Preparation

Step 1

Trim fat from meat and cut into 1-inch pieces.

Heat oil on skillet (or stove top safe slow cooker vessel) Sear meat until brown on all sides (about 5 minutes) Add garlic and sauté about one minute. Deglaze skillet with stout beer and pour contents into crock

Place crock in base and sprinkle with tapioca. Add carrots, potatoes, and onions, beef broth and bay leaf. Cover and cook on low for 8 hour or high 4 hours.

In last hour, remove bay leaves. Add salt and pepper to taste and for an added touch of aroma, add a sprig of rosemary or thyme if you have any on hand.

Serve piping hot with you favorite bread or over egg noodles, rice or couscous.

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Test Kitchen Tips:

This is the perfect opportunity to save money by purchasing less expensive cuts of meat. One or our favorites in the test kitchen is round steak. Or you can save time by purchasing already cubed beef.

To deglaze - pour liquid into hot pan to remove all caramelized food bits to create sauce.

When making any beefy type soup or stew, I like to add a fresh sprig of thyme or rosemary in the last hour of cooking. It adds a nice aroma to set the mood for a nice home cooked meal.