Irish Beef Stew

I don't know how bloggers do it. They keep up with their postings daily. They even manage to post holiday specific recipes before the holidays so their readers can make that dish for the day. Well, I guess I missed the ball in posting this recipe for St. Patty's Day. Or even close to St. Patty's Day. And I did just find several Thanksgiving recipes that I never posted, so I'm glad I don't blog for a living. But, even despite the time delay, this stew recipe was too good not to share.

Yum! We actually did eat this irish stew for St. Patty's Day this year. I served it along with some beer bread that I mixed up. A bit of prep work was involved, but it worked out great. It is a crockpot recipe so after you get the meat and vegetables prepped, the meal cooks itself and comes out delicious. And the leftovers were absolutely divine! Next time you have a craving for some comfort food, I highly recommend this stew.
Irish Beef Stew
from Greens and Chocolate
Ingredients

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 lb beef stew meat cut into 1-inch pieces
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 5-6 cups beef broth
• 1 cup Guinness beer
• 1 cup red wine
• 2 Tbsp tomato paste
• 1 Tbsp white sugar
• 1 Tbsp dried thyme
• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 3 fresh bay leaves, or 2 dried
• 2 Tbsp salted butter
• 4 Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 large white onion, chopped
• 2 cups 1/2 inch peeled carrots
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley, to top

Instructions

1. Heat 2 Tbsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches, brown the beef pieces. Don't overcrowd the skillet and do not stir while browning; use tongs to flip pieces over. Continue to cook until all of the pieces are lightly browned on each side; set aside.
2. In skillet, add 2 more Tbsp of olive oil and add the garlic; saute 1 minute. Add onion and cook until translucent.
3. Add browned beef pieces, garlic, onions, carrots, potatoes, beef broth, Guinness, wine, and spices, to crockpot. Set crockpot on low for 8-9 hours, or high for 5-6 hours. Serve in bowls with some crusty bread and add extra Tomato paste if desired.