Do I need to peel the potatoes?

That is a personal preference, I don't peel mine but feel free to if you like

Can I leave out garlic/mushrooms/carrots/etc?

If you don't like one of the vegetables, leave it out. I do not recommend leaving out the garlic however. The end result does not have an obvious garlic taste but the garlic goes a long way in developing the flavor of the stew.

Can I make this with lamb?

Yes, traditional Irish stew uses lamb. I adapted it to use beef stew meat as lamb is harder to find and more expensive in the US. You can use either beef or lamb in this recipe.

Can this be made on the stovetop?

Yes, simply simmer on low in a large pot or dutch oven for 3-4 hours instead of slow cooking.

Can I make this in the Instant Pot?

Yes, use the Sauté mode on the pressure cooker for all of the prep work and cook on Stew mode, then allow pressure to do a natural release.

What other cuts of meat can I use?

If you don't have flank steak choose an inexpensive, tougher meat such as chuck roast or round. The higher connective tissue in these meats melts into the meat during the slow cooking process and adds so much flavor to the stew. Learn more about choosing the best stew meat here.

Slow Cooker Guinness Irish Beef Stew

Name: Slow Cooker Guinness Irish Beef Stew
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 6 h
Total time: 6 h 20 min
Yield: 8
Cuisine: Irish
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil; 2.5 lb flank steak; salt & pepper; 4 cloves garlic, minced; 2 small yellow onions, coarsely chopped; 4 slices thick cut bacon; 2 tablespoons all purpose flour; 14.9 oz can Guinness Draught Ale; 1/4 cup tomato paste; 4 medium carrots, peeled and chopped 1/2″ thick; 1 pint small button mushrooms; 3 large yellow potatoes, chopped into 1′ pieces; 2-3 cups beef broth; optional-1/4 cup butter and 1/4 cup flour to thicken stew

Description

Guinness Irish Beef Stew is made easy with a slow cooker-tender fall apart meat with hearty vegetables and a thick, gravy-like stew. Serve over mashed potatoes or with bread for an easy weeknight crockpot dinner.

Ingredients

Units Scale

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2.5 lb flank steak
salt & pepper
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 small yellow onions, coarsely chopped
4 slices thick cut bacon
2 tablespoons all purpose flour
14.9 oz can Guinness Draught Ale
1/4 cup tomato paste
4 medium carrots, peeled and chopped 1/2″ thick
1 pint small button mushrooms
3 large yellow potatoes, chopped into 1‘ pieces
2–3 cups beef broth
optional-1/4 cup butter and 1/4 cup flour to thicken stew

Instructions

Cut the flank steak into large 1″ pieces.
Heat the olive oil over medium high heat in a large skillet.
Add meat to the skillet in batches, being careful not to over crowd.
Season with salt and pepper as you brown the meat on all sides.
As the meat is cooked place into the slow cooker.
When all steak is cooked add bacon to pan and cook until well done.
Add bacon to slow cooker over steak.
Add onion and garlic to the skillet and cook until soft.
Add flour to the pan, then pour the Guinness and tomato paste into skillet and scrape the bottom to deglaze the pan.
Stir thoroughly to dissolve the flour and make sure there are no lumps. Remove from heat.
Add carrots, potatoes, and mushrooms to slow cooker.
Pour Guinness mixture over the meat and vegetables.
Add beef broth to just cover the meat and veggies.
Cook on high heat at least 6 hours or low heat 8 hours.
If you would like the stew to be thicker you can make a roux-melt 1/4 cup butter in a small saucepan and add in 1/4 cup all purpose flour, whisking constantly. Once the mixture begins to darken remove from heat and add about a cup of liquid from the stew into the saucepan. Whisk until smooth and then add to slow cooker. Stir and allow to cook 5-10 minutes more before serving.
Garnish with dried parsley if desired.

Prep Time: 20 mins
Cook Time: 6 hours
Category: soup
Method: slow cooker
Cuisine: Irish

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 cup
Calories: 482
Sugar: 7.7 g
Sodium: 378.7 mg
Fat: 17.1 g
Carbohydrates: 41.7 g
Protein: 37.9 g
Cholesterol: 94.8 mg