St. Patty's Day Beef Stew

March 17th is St. Patrick's Day.  This is the day that everyone wants to be Irish and eat Irish Stew and Guinness Beer.  Well I am not Irish but I do like to make a good and hearty Beef Stew.  In honour of St. Patrick's Day I made this vegetable rich comforting Beef Stew.  I always enjoyed a good Beef Stew on a cold winter day growing up and it's almost a no fail no recipe needed recipe.  It's more about the layers of flavours and the order that you put everything in and then you just cook it low and slow until the meat is tender and the vegetables are tender and the juices start to form a flavourful gravy.

Ingredients:

1 package of Stewing Beef
2 Carrots
1 Parsnip
1 celery stalk
2 cloves of garlic
1 large onion
Beef stock, Guinness Beer or water
1 cup of frozen peas
2 large russet potatoes
salt, pepper
1 tbsp. flour
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. paprika
1 tbsp oil
1 tbsp fresh parsley
1/2 cup of crushed tomato puree

Directions:

Season the beef with salt and pepper and then sprinkle the flour all over to absorb moisture.  It's best if the meat is dry.  In a large dutch oven or a skillet brown off the beef on medium high heat.  Do it in batches so that you don't boil the meat.  Remove the meat and set aside.  You don't need to cook it all the way through.  Just sear the outside of the meat.
If you are using a Dutch oven then you can add the onions, carrots, celery and parsnips and cook for a couple of minutes.  Then add the garlic and tomato sauce and mix through.  Add the potatoes and the paprika, Worcestershire sauce, thyme and parsley.  Add the meat back into the pot and pour a bottle of Guinness beer over the mixture and add additional stock or water to cover the stew to just below the top.   The sauce will form a bit of a gravy from the little bit of flour on the beef.  Let the mixture come back up to a boil and then turn it down to a simmer and cook until the vegetables are cooked and the beef is tender.  This should take at least an hour.  Add the frozen peas to the last couple of minutes of cooking and stir through.

This is a pretty filling meal so serve it with a light salad and don't forget your Guinness Beer if you are having it to celebrate St. Patrick's Day.  If you like you can also make up some Soda Bread and bake it while the Stew is in the Oven.

"There are only two kinds of people in the world, The Irish and those who wish they were."

HAPPY ST. PATTY'S DAY

CHEERS!