Beef Stew with Guinness

Instructions

1. Prepare the beef
   Pat the beef chunks dry with paper towels and season generously with salt and pepper. Toss the beef in flour until lightly coated, shaking off excess.
2. Brown the meat
   Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Working in batches to avoid overcrowding, brown the beef on all sides, about 3-4 minutes per batch. Transfer browned beef to a plate.
3. Sauté the aromatics
   In the same pot, add onions and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook for another minute until fragrant. Stir in tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes.
4. Deglaze with Guinness
   Pour in the Guinness, scraping the bottom of the pot to loosen any browned bits. Bring to a simmer and cook for about 5 minutes, allowing the beer to reduce slightly.
5. Add remaining ingredients
   Return the beef to the pot. Add beef broth, carrots, potatoes, bay leaves, thyme, Worcestershire sauce, and brown sugar. Season with salt and pepper. Stir to combine.
6. Simmer the stew
   Bring the stew to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for about 2 hours, stirring occasionally, until the beef is very tender and the sauce has thickened.
7. Adjust seasoning
   Remove bay leaves and thyme sprigs. Taste and adjust seasoning with additional salt and pepper if needed. If the stew is too thin, simmer uncovered for 10-15 minutes to reduce the liquid.
8. Serve
   Ladle the stew into bowls and serve hot with crusty bread or Irish soda bread to soak up the rich gravy.