Irish Stout Beef Stew with Herbed Dumplings
User Reviews
5
Irish Stout Beef Stew with Herbed Dumplings
Description
This Irish Stout Beef Stew with Herbed Dumplings begins by coating beef chuck pieces with flour and seasoning, then searing them until golden brown to build depth of flavor. Butter, diced sweet onions, and minced garlic are sautéed in the same pot, lifting browned bits from the bottom. Halved baby Yukon gold potatoes and sliced carrots are added and tossed with tomato paste to develop sweetness and richness.
Stout beer is poured in to deglaze the pan, releasing the concentrated flavors, and combined with beef stock to create a wide-flavored braising liquid. The mixture simmers so the beef becomes tender and the vegetables soak up the hearty broth. The accompanying herbed dumplings, made from a dough of all-purpose flour, baking powder, dried herbs like parsley and rosemary, salt, egg, and buttermilk, are cooked in the stew to absorb the savory flavors, offering soft, fluffy bites.
This stew is a filling dish with a depth of maltiness from the stout, a balance of textures from tender meat, soft vegetables, and pillowy dumplings. It pairs well with crusty bread to soak up the sauce and is fitting for a comforting meal needing rich nourishment.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil or canola oil
- 2 pounds beef chuck roast cut into pieces
- kosher salt
- black pepper freshly cracked
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 1 tablespoon butter unsalted
- 1 onion diced, sweet
- 3 garlic minced, cloves
- 8 baby yukon gold potatoes halved
- 2 carrot peeled and sliced
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 8 ounces stout beer like guinness
- 4 cups beef stock
herb dumplings
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon parsley dried
- ½ teaspoon rosemary dried, or thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 egg lightly beaten, large
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
Instructions
- Heat a large stock pot over medium heat and add the oil. Toss the beef piece with a sprinkle of salt and pepper, then toss them with the flour so all the pieces are coated.
- Add the beef to the pot and sear until each side is golden brown, about 1 to 2 minutes per side. You may need to do this in batches. Remove the beef pieces with a slotted spoon and place them on a plate until ready to use.
- To the same pot, toss in the butter, onions and garlic. Stir and toss, scraping the bottom so you remove some of the brown bits of flavor from the beef. Cook for 5 minutes, until softened.
- Stir in the potatoes and carrots with a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook for another 5 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and make sure all the pieces are coated. Cook for another 5 to 10 minutes to develop the flavor, stirring often so the tomato paste doesn’t burn on the bottom. Add the beef back to the pot.
- Pour in the stout to deglaze the pan. Stir to release any more bits of flavor from the bottom. Stir in the beef stock. Add a sprig of thyme or rosemary to the pot. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce it to a simmer. Cover and cook for 30 to 60 minutes, until the beef is tender and falling apart. You can simmer it for even longer as long as it’s covered! I like to taste it here and see if it needs any additional salt and pepper. If so, add it!
- To make the dumplings, whisk together the flour, baking powder, herbs and salt in a large bowl. Combine the milk and the eggs, then stir into the flour until just mixed. Set the mixture aside for 10 minutes.
- Once the beef is tender, uncover the soup and add spoonfuls of the dumpling dough directly to the broth. I don’t worry about crowding the pot and usually cover the entire top of the stew mixture. You want the mixture to be bubbling for 10 to 15 minutes so it cooks the dumplings – after 10 minutes I usually gently flip the dumplings over and cook for another 5 to 10 minutes.
- Serve the stew immediately with chopped parsley or rosemary, or both!
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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