Guinness gives this hearty beef stew it’s rich, brown colour and adds a lot of flavour.
Ingredients
500ml bottle of Guinness
1½ kg boneless beef
150g bacon, diced
4 large tomatoes, finely chopped
2 tbsp tomato paste
2 medium-size onions, sliced
4 large cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp beef masala
2 celery stalks, finely chopped
3 large carrots
2 small chicken stock cubes
2 heaped tbsp corn flour
1 tbsp Royc, 3 tbsp oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
Season the beef with 1 tsp each of salt and black pepper. Heat 2 tbsp oil in a large, heavy bottom saucepan and brown the beef all over on high heat, for a few minutes. Do this in batches until all the beef has been browned. Transfer to a clean plate, cover and set aside.
Heat the remaining oil in the same saucepan and fry the bacon until crispy. Remove from the pan and set aside.
Fry the onions and garlic in the bacon fat over medium heat, until golden. Add the beef masala and chicken stock cubes and cook stirring for a few seconds.
Add the tomatoes, carrots and celery and cook stirring, scraping all the bits stuck to the bottom of the pan into the sauce. Reduce the heat and simmer until the tomatoes are cooked. Add the tomato paste and continue cooking for a few minutes, stirring all the time. Mix the Royco and corn flour with 4 tbsp of water, making sure there are no lumps and add this to the tomato mixture. Cook stirring for a few minutes.
Add the Guinness, stir well and simmer for a few minutes. Return the bacon and beef to the pan and give everything a good stir. Add enough water to just cover the beef. Bring to the boil and then reduce the heat to very low. Cover the pan and cook over low heat until the beef is tender.
Serve piping hot with your favourite staples and a fresh vegetable salad.