It was suppose to snow today, but it didn’t or at least I didn’t notice it.  What a bummer…I thought it will be a great, last hurrah to winter to do a slow cooker recipe.  I’m going to do it anyway. So, since it is St. Patrick’s day weekend and my boyfriend is Irish I decided to make Irish Guinness stew.

Servings: 6

Ingredients:
2 lb boneless beef chuck, fat trimmed & cut into 1 1/2 inch cubes
kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 large yellow onion, cut into 1 inch pieces
3 large carrots peeled & cut into 1 inch thick carrot slices
2 celery ribs, diced
5 garlic cloves, minced
1 can (6 oz) tomato paste
1 bottle (11.2 oz) Irish stout, such as Guinness
3 1/2 cups of beef broth or 2 cans (14 oz)
1 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley and some for garnish
2 sprigs of fresh thyme
2 bay leaves
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 1/2 lb small round red potatoes, quartered
1 1/4 cup frozen peas, thawed

Directions:
1. Season beef with salt and pepper. Heat 1 Tbsp of oil in a dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add 1/2 of the beef and brown on all sides, 6 to 8 minutes. Place browned beef in slow cooker. Repeat with the rest of the beef.

2. Reduce heat to medium. Add onions, carrots, and celery to dutch oven and saute for 4-5 minutes, scraping the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon to loosen the brown bits. Add more oil if needed. Add garlic, stir constantly until fragrant, 30 seconds. Mix in tomato paste and stir for 1 minute. Slowly add the beer. Bring to boil on high and cook for 1 minute, scraping the bottom of the pot.

3. Transfer beer mixture to slow cooker. Mix in beef broth, parsley, thyme, and bay leaves. Cook on low until beef is almost tender, 2 1/2 to 3 hours.

4. Combine cornstarch with 3 Tbsp of water in a small bowl, stirring until smooth. Stir in starch mixture into stew and stir well. Add potatoes and cook on high until potatoes are tender, about 1 hour.

5. Add peas and heat through, about 3 minutes. Ladle stew into bowls and sprinkle with fresh chopped parsley.