Irish Beef Stew

Irish Beef Stew

•  2 1/2 lbs beef stew meat, cut into 2" sized pieces
• 3 TBS all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp + 1 tsp s.a.l.t. sisters Blend, to taste
• 2 TBS avocado oil
• 6 oz thick cut bacon, diced, optional
• 2 onions, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 TBS tomato paste
• 4 large carrots, peeled and chopped into chunks
•  3 stalks of celery, chopped
• 4 cups chicken or beef broth, salt free or low sodium
• 1 cup Guinness beer (or any stout beer)
• 1 TBS Worcestershire sauce
• 2 bay leaves
• 5 sprigs of thyme
• Chopped fresh parsley for garnish (optional)
• Prepared mashed potatoes

Instructions:

Preheat over to 350F degrees

1.  Prep the beef:  In a large bowl, toss the beef stew meat with the flour, and 1 tsp s.a.l.t. sisters Blend until the meat is well coated.

2.  Brown the beef:  Heat the avocado oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over    medium-high heat.  Add the beef in batches and brown all sides.  Remove the      browned beef from the pot and set aside.

3.  Saute the vegetables:  In the same pot, add bacon over medium heat, saute 2 minutes.  Add the chopped onions and garlic, and saute until softened and fragrant, about 3 minutes.  Add tomato paste, stir, cook about 2 minutes.

4.  Combine ingredients:  Return the browned beef to the pot.  Add the chopped carrots, celery, broth, Guinness beer, Worcestershire sauce, bay leaves, thyme sprigs and remaining s.a.l.t. sisters Blend.  Stir well to combine.  

5.  Simmer the stew:  Bring to a simmer, cover.  Place in oven for 1.5-2 hours.  Or if you prefer to cook on the stovetop, bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to low.  Cover the pot and simmer for about 1.5-2 hours, stirring occasionally, until the beef is tender.

6.  Adjust seasoning:  Taste the stew and adjust the seasoning, if needed.

7.  Serve:  Remove the bay leaves from the stew.  Ladle the Irish Beef Stew into bowls over mashed potatoes and garnish with chopped fresh parsley, if desired.  Serve hot with crusty bread or Irish soda bread for a traditional touch.  Alternatively to serving over mashed potatoes, add 1 lb baby golden potatoes, halved, when adding beef back into the pot.

Enjoy your hearty and flavorful traditional Irish Beef Stew!