Guinness Stew with Soda Bread

Ingredients

2 tablespoons EVOO - Extra Virgin Olive Oil
3 pounds top round, cut into 2-inch chunks
4 slices bacon, chopped
2 medium onions, finely chopped
3 carrots, peeled and sliced on a slight angle into pieces about 1/2-inch thick
3 ribs celery, finely chopped
3 parsnips, peeled and sliced on an angle into pieces about 1/2-inch thick
1 large or 2 medium turnips, peeled and cut in half then cut into wedges 1/2-inch thick
1 fresh bay leaf
2 teaspoons cumin

1 teaspoon allspice
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 bottle Guinness beer
6 cups beef stock
1 pound small new potatoes, scrubbed and left whole
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
1 loaf store-bought Irish soda bread
6 cups beef stock

Yields: 4 servings

Preparation

Preheat oven to 375ºF.

Place a large pot over medium-high heat with 2 tablespoons EVOO, about 2 turns of the pan. Add the meat to the pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until well-seared on all sides, 7-8 minutes total. Remove the meat from the pot and reserve it on a plate.

Add the bacon to the pot and cook until brown and crispy, 4-5 minutes. Add the onions, carrots, celery, parsnips, turnips, bay leaf, cumin and allspice to the pot, and cook until the veggies begin to get tender, 6-7 minutes.

Add the honey, Worcestershire, Guinness, reserved meat, stock and potatoes to the pot and bring to a bubble. Cover the pot and transfer the stew to the oven. Cook until the meat is tender, about 1 hour.

After an hour has passed, remove the stew from the oven and place it on the stovetop over medium-high heat to bring up to a bubble. Place a small skillet over medium-high heat and melt the butter. Sprinkle the flour over the butter and cook it for about one minute.

Scoop a mugful of the broth from the pot and whisk it into the roux. Transfer the thickened liquid back to the pot of stew and allow it to cook at a bubble for 2-3 minutes, until thickened. Serve up the stew with some Irish soda bread alongside.