Guinness Beef Stew

Prep the Beef

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F with the rack in the lower middle position. Tie the thyme sprigs and bay leaf together into a bundle (a bouquet garni) with kitchen twine and set aside.
2. Trim the chuck roast of excess fat on the sides and cut the meat into 1-1/2 to 2-inch cubes. Dry the cubes well with paper towels and season generously with salt and pepper just before searing.

Saute and Sear

1. Heat the vegetable oil over medium heat in a large Dutch oven (5-1/2 to 6-3/4 quarts). Add the bacon and cook until crisp. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon to a paper towel lined plate to drain. Leave the rendered bacon fat and oil in the pan.
2. Sear the beef cubes in the Dutch oven in batches over medium-high heat until well browned. (Brown the beef on at least two sides, or on all sides for additional flavor.) Be mindful not to overcrowd the pan so that the meat browns without steaming. Remove beef cubes to a clean plate and set aside.
3. Add onions and celery to the Dutch oven with a pinch or two of salt and pepper. Cook for 5-8 minutes, until softened and beginning to brown. Stir in garlic, tomato paste, and flour. Continue to cook over medium heat for about 2 minutes, stirring, until the tomato paste develops a rich rust color. (Watch it carefully so it doesn't burn.)

Assemble the Stew

1. Deglaze the pan with the stout, scraping the fond (the brown bits) from the bottom and sides of the Dutch oven for 1-2 minutes.
2. Add the beef cubes back into the pot with any accumulated juices. Stir in the reserved bacon, 3 cups of beef stock (to cover the beef cubes; add additional, if needed, depending on the dimensions of your pot), Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, and the bouquet garni.

Cook the Stew

1. Bring the stew to a boil on the stove. Cover the Dutch oven and transfer it to the oven. Cook for 90 minutes, stirring halfway through.
2. Stir the potatoes and carrots into the stew. (Check the liquid level at this point. If it's reduced significantly and looks dry once the root vegetables are added, stir in a little more stock.) Cover and continue cooking for 60-80 minutes, until the beef is fall apart tender and the potatoes and carrots are fork tender.

Thicken the Stew (If Needed) and Serve

1. Remove the stew from the oven and use a spoon to skim fat from the surface of the gravy. (There might be a significant amount, depending on the marbling in the beef.) Discard the bouquet garni.
2. The defatted gravy might need thickening, based on how much stock you used, and your personal preferences. Whisk together 2 tablespoons cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of room temperature beef stock in a small bowl (a "slurry"). Gently stir the slurry into the stew by the teaspoonful as you bring the stew back to a boil on the stove, until your desired gravy consistency is reached.
3. Stir in the parsley and season the stew to taste with salt and pepper. (The amount of salt will depend on the sodium content of your stock.)
4. Serve Guinness Beef Stew hot in deep bowls with Irish Soda Bread on the side to dip into the gravy.