Irish Stew

Ingredients:

1 1/4 pounds well-marbled chuck beef, cut into 1 1/2-inch chunks

1/4 cup olive oil

6 large garlic cloves, minced

4 cups of beef stock

2 cups of water

1 cup of Guinness extra stout

1 cup of hearty red wine

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 tablespoon sugar

1 tablespoon dried thyme

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

2 bay leaves 2 tablespoons butter

3 pounds potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (I leave the peels on)

1 large onion, chopped (1 1/2 to 2 cups)

2 cups 1/2-inch pieces peeled carrots

Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

Sprinkle about a teaspoon of salt over the beef pieces. Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven. Pat dry the beef with paper towels, add the beef (do not crowd the pan, or the meat will steam) and cook until well browned on all sides.

Saute garlic, add beef stock, water, Guinness, red wine, tomato paste, sugar, thyme, Worcestershire sauce, and bay leaves. Bring mixture to a simmer. Reduce heat to the lowest setting, then cover and cook at a simmer for 1 - 2 hours (stir as needed). Melt the butter in another pot to saute the onions and carrots. Add salt and pepper, place ingredients together and simmer uncovered for an hour. Discard the bay leaves.

The traditional version of Irish stew is done with lamb, which may be substituted here. Feel free to skip the Guinness, just add an additional cup of water, but it adds a ton of flavor; the alcohol burns off so it's save to serve to the whole family.