Guinness Braised Beef
Guinness Braised Beef might possibly be the best use ever of beef chuck roast.
This started out as a Saint Patrick’s Day menu item, but it quickly became so much more. It’s easy and super tasty, but so elegant it would make the best dinner party proud. And it’s economical too!
A couple of years ago, Bert and I were talking on the patio on one of those balmy summer Friday nights about where we’d go if we won the lottery. Turns out both of us wanted to go to Ireland. I went to bed without thinking too much more about it until I saw a text from Bert the next morning:
We had not won the lottery.
But it turned out we didn’t really need to. He had found some economically priced airplane tickets and we decided after a fair amount of debate, and some strong influence by my favorite baby brother (they had a trip planned too!) we were going to take the plunge. It was a fabulous trip. Half way through, we discussed when we could go back.
I had enjoyed Guinness well and often before we traveled to Ireland, but this trip ramped it up, substantially. Lunch most days was at a pub with a bowl of soup and you guessed it, a pint of Guinness. One of my favorite tours was the Guinness Factory (how could it not be? there are at least TWO bars inside).
When Saint Patrick’s Day ♣ came around again, this recipe was born. It’s beef in an awesome uncomplicated sauce.
Take your chuck roast and trim the excess fat. See that big fat “C” in the lower portion? That goes. Don’t worry about the marbling or the light bit of fat – that’s where a lot of the flavor comes from.
Cut it into large, 2 to 2 1/2″ chunks.
Put the meat in a bowl. Salt & Pepper aggressively, and sprinkle with brown sugar. Let the beef rest for a few minutes if time permits to melt the sugar.
Heat the oil in a heavy Dutch oven (affiliate link) until it is shimmering and nice and hot. Add the beef in three batches so you don’t crowd the pan and cool it down. Transfer the beef to a platter.
Add more oil and the vegetables to the pot, cooking until lightly browned.
The sugar and beef will leave a “fond” on the bottom of the pan – that’s good for flavor.
Sprinkle with flour, stir it in and let cook for another few minutes.
Add the beer. I used the “Extra Stout” because that’s what was available, but the regular “draught” beer works well too. I also used two whole bottles for a rich “Guinnessy” sauce. Cut it back if you want a more subtle flavor.
Scrape up the fond to incorporate it into the dish. Add the beef broth and the beef to the pot.
Bring the Guinness Braised Beef to a boil, then put it in a preheated 275 degree oven to cook for 3 hours. You can use your crockpot (affiliate link) from this point if you’d rather. High for 3 – 4 hours, low for 6 – 8 hours.
Mine was a little loose, so I cooked it without the lid at 350 degrees F for the last half hour or so to thicken it up.
This is spectacular served with mashed potatoes or Irish Colcannon Potatoes. We really like Mashed Peas with this too. And, of course, a bottle or two of Guinness.
Or you can channel your inner chef and do this:
Guinness Braised Beef
Ingredients
- 3 pound Beef Chuck Roast
- 3 tbsp Brown Sugar
- 4 tbsp Vegetable Oil
- 3 large Carrots
- 1 large Onion
- 4 tbsp All Purpose Flour
- 1-2 bottles Guinness (12.5 ounce size)
- 1 cup Beef Broth or prepared Beef Bouillon
- Salt & Pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cut roast into large 2 - 2 1/2" chunks. Trim excess fat while prepping.
- Cut unpeeled carrots into 2 inch pieces and cut onion into eighths.
- Place beef pieces in bowl, salt & pepper aggressively and sprinkle with brown sugar. Allow beef to rest for a few minutes if time permits.
- Preheat oven to 275 degrees F.
- Heat 2 tablespoons oil in heavy dutch oven over medium high heat until the oil shimmers. Brown beef in three batches, making sure all sides of the beef cubes are seared. Remove beef to platter.
- Add remaining 2 tablespoons of oil to pan to heat. Add carrot and onion and cook over medium high heat for 4 to 5 minutes until slightly browned. Sprinkle flour over vegetables then stir and cook for another 2 - 3 minutes.
- Add Guinness to pan and scrape brown bits from bottom. Add beef broth and return beef to pan. Bring to a boil. Once beef comes to heat, cover tightly with lid, and place in preheated oven. Cook for at least 3 hours, checking occasionally that the juice is holding up.
- If the gravy is too thin, remove the lid from the pan and turn up the heat to 350 degrees F for the last half hour of cooking.
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