1 1/4 pounds of ingredients 1 1/2-inch slices of well-marbled chuck beef stew meat
3 tsp salt (or to taste)
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
6 minced garlic cloves
4 cups beef broth
2 c. water
1 cup extra thick Guinness
1 cup rich red wine
two tbsp tomato paste
1 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon thyme dried
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
2 bay leaves 2 tbsp. butter
3 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and chopped into 1/2-inch cubes (about 7 cups)
1 big chopped onion (1 1/2 to 2 cups)
2 cups carrots or parsnips, sliced into 1/2-inch chunks
1/2 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground
2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
Method
Brown the beef: Sprinkle the beef with roughly a teaspoon of salt. In a large (6 to 8 quart) thick-bottomed saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat.
Working in batches, add the beef (do not crowd the pan, or the meat will steam and not brown) and cook, without stirring, until nicely browned on one side, then turn the pieces over and brown on the other side.
Add the garlic and the remaining stock ingredients, then simmer:
Sauté the garlic in the pot with the steak for 30 seconds, or until fragrant. Combine the beef stock, water, Guinness, red wine, tomato paste, sugar, thyme, Worcestershire sauce, and bay leaves in a large mixing bowl. To blend, stir everything together.
Bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to the lowest level, cover, and cook for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
In a separate pan, sauté the onions and carrots: While the meat and stock are simmering, melt the butter in another saucepan over medium heat. Combine the onions and carrots in a mixing bowl. Cook the onions and carrots for about 15 minutes, or until the onions are golden. Set aside for one hour after the meat stew in step 2 has cooked.
Simmer the veggies in the beef stew: Add the onions, carrots, and potatoes to the meat stew. Add two teaspoons of salt and two tablespoons of black pepper. Cook, uncovered, for 40 minutes, or until the veggies and beef are very soft. Remove the bay leaves and set aside. Remove any excess fat from the pan by tilting it.
Serve stew in serving dishes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve garnished with parsley.
