BEEF and GUINNESS STEW

INGREDIENTS:

3 TBSP cooking oil
1/4 cup Flour
2 lbs. stew meat
1 tsp. salt
5 cups chopped onion
1 TBSP tomato paste
4 cups beef stock
1 (11.2 oz) bottle of Guinness Stout, or Imperial Stout
1/2 tsp pepper
1 1/2 cups chopped carrot
1-2 Bay Leaves
Potatoes - skinned, chopped into nice bite-size pieces (3 cups, or so, as you like)
or.....
(some people add in parsnips and/or turnips - same amount 1 1/2 cups each)

DIRECTIONS:

1. HEAT 1 1/2 TBSP oil in a Dutch oven or heavy soup pot over medium-high heat. Place flour in a shallow dish. Sprinkle beef with 1/2 teaspoon salt; DREDGE beef in flour. ADD half of beef to pan; cook 5 minutes, turning to brown on all sides. Remove beef from pan with a slotted spoon. Repeat procedure with remaining 1 1/2 TBSP oil and beef.

2. ADD onion to pan; cook 5 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in tomato paste; cook 1 minute, stirring frequently. Stir in broth and beer, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. 

3. Return meat to pan. STIR in remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper; add Bay leaves; bring to a boil. 

4. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 1 hour, stirring occasionally. 

5. Uncover and bring to a boil. Cook 50 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add carrot, parsnip, and turnip. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Uncover and bring to a boil; cook 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender. 

REMOVE Bay leaves

Nice and thick stew gravy goes great dipped with a hunk of French bread.

*Some prefer dredging and cooking the meat on the stovetop then adding everything to a slow-cook crockpot.