According to my BFF, the only reason we are friends is because of our mutual love for Guinness. Of course, the first time she brought this up I tried to vehemently argue with her…until about 2.5 seconds into the argument when I realized that she was completely right. Since then, we have shared a love for a great number of things…namely beer, the Texas Longhorns, wine, The Dallas Cowboys, margaritas, and the San Antonio Spurs–and almost never in that order, but initially it was Guinness that brought us together. Since today is her birthday, I thought a Guinness post was apropos!
Probably my crowning glory in drinking Guinness was the time I chugged a pint and earned a free round of drinks for me & my friends, bought by some pompous Aussies, who were quite sure that a Yank couldn’t drink an entire pint of Guinness in one go. I tried telling them I was, in fact, not a Yank, but a TEXAN, but they seemed to be wanting to be parted with their money–so I was happy to oblige.
Nowadays, I prefer slowly enjoying my Guinness in a quite pub somewhere people watching. Or better yet, in my version of Guinness stew. DISCLAIMER: I have NO idea how close to traditional Guinness stew this is. I call it Guinness Stew because, well, I add Guinness and it’s (in my humble opinion) delicious and one of the very first things I always make this time of year when the weather starts to cool off enough to justify having stew for dinner.
Guinness Stew
2 lbs of chuck steak cubed (I usually cheat and just buy it that way)
2 medium yellow onions, diced
6-8 cloves of garlic, diced or pressed
6 carrots, cubed (to similar size as potatoes)
2 cups of corn
4-6 potatoes, scrubbed and cubed (skins on, cubed to similar size as carrots)
2 large (14.8 oz) of diced tomatoes + each filled with water
1 large bottle (or two small) of Guinness
2 Tbsp butter
¼ cup of cornstarch
olive oil
sea salt & fresh ground pepper to taste
parsley for garnish
In a large stock pot, saute onions and garlic until translucent. Add carrots and potatoes and saute for about 5 minutes. Add meat and season with salt & pepper. Saute until meat is brown. Add Guinness and let it cook until reduced slightly. Add corn, tomatoes, and water. Cook for about 30 minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings. In a small bowl mix butter and cornstarch to form a ball. Break into four parts and drop into the stew (this will thicken it and by mixing butter and cornstarch, it will prevent cornstarch from clumping). Cook about 15-30 minutes longer until beef is tender. Serve with parsley garnish, a huge chunk of rustic bread, and, of course, more Guinness for drinking!
Slainte! Oh and Sissy, this Guinness is for you!!
love the pic? Go check out http://whereswalden.com/tag/guinness
The Epicurious Texan 
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