Irish Beef Stew

Soup season is in full swing! And this girl is here for it. Not that I have any hard and fast rules about it, but I’m probably making at least one soup if not two a week and that’s exactly the right frequency for eating soup, if you ask me!

I’ve been dying to make this stew for the blog for months. My brother is a beer rep for Iron Horse Brewery based in Ellensburg, WA. This translates to having a crap ton of free in our fridge whenever we see him (there are worst problems!) Hands down their signature beer (and the beer we always have full stocked in our fridge) is Irish Death.

I compare Irish Death to Guinness a lot even though if you ask me and Iron Horse employees including my bro, it doesn’t even come close. Guinness is good, sure, but Irish Death just hits different - it’s creamy, rich and more complex in flavor. They even feature seasonal spin-offs like the PB Death (with peanut butter, obvi), Mocha Death or Aloha Death (with coconut!)

But I am a fan of the OG Irish Death not just for its flavor and drinkability but for its cookability! That’s right, this is not the first time I’ve featured Irish Death in my recipes (like my beer-braised onion dip). Any recipe you need a good braising liquid for, I reach for the Irish Death to add a rich, unique flavor.

Which means it’s absolutely PERFECT for Irish beef stew (that’s right, I didn’t even go near the G-word here!) This rich, hearty stew is absolutely perfect for chilly fall and winter nights. I make this stew using my Instant Pot but you can absolutely go the stove-top route as well.

The Irish Death really dials up the flavor for sure. But this stew is equally simple and easy to throw together featuring your classic stew ingredients. Pro tip: don’t take shortcuts by buying stew meat at the grocery store. I find it’s tough and not as great of quality. Instead, buy a whole chuck roast and cut into bite-sized pieces yourself. Yes, be brave and cut your own dang meat! I promise, it’s totally worth it.

Irish Beef Stew

Ingredients

• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

• 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided

• 3-4 pound chuck roast, cut into bite-sized pieces

• 1 large yellow onion, diced

• 4 garlic cloves, minced

• 1/3 cup flour

• 3 tablespoons tomato paste

• 3 carrots, peeled and cut into bite-sized, diagonal pieces

• 1.5 pounds petite Yukon gold potatoes, quartered

• 1 12-oz can Irish Death - you can find it at most grocery stores in WA! If you can’t find it, any Stout or Porter will do

• 4 cups beef stock

• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

• 1 bay leave

• Chopped parsley, for garnish

Directions

Turn Instant Pot to sauté or heat a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Drizzle half of olive oil in the base of the Instant Pot or Dutch oven. Add your beef chunks and brown, stirring frequently, about 4-5 minutes.

Remove beef and all their juices from the Instant Pot/Dutch oven. Add remaining oil and diced onion. Sauté for 1-2 minutes, until fragrant. Add garlic and sauté for about a minute. Add tomato paste and flour and cook for 2-3 minutes. Pour in Irish Death or whatever beer you are using. Let reduce for about 2 minutes. Add potatoes, carrots, beef stock, beef (and remaining juices) thyme and bay leaf. Stir until well combined.

If using Instant Pot, seal lid and select the “Stew” button - or pressure cook for 40 minutes and natural release for 10 minutes.

If using your Dutch oven, bring stew to a boil then reduce to a simmer and partially cover for an hour and a half, stirring occasionally.

Serve with chopped parsley and enjoy!