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Guinness Beef and Mushroom Stew over Buttery Polenta
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Course Main Course
Cuisine Irish
Servings 4 people

Equipment

  • Slow Cooker
  • Skillet
  • Saucepan

Ingredients
  

  • 1.5 pounds beef stew meat, cut into chunks
  • 8 ounces cremini mushrooms, quartered
  • 1 large onion, diced
  • 2 carrots, peeled and sliced
  • 12 ounces Guinness stout
  • 2 cups beef broth
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 2 bay leaves
  • Salt and black pepper
  • 1 cup polenta
  • 4 tablespoons butter
  • 4 cups water
  • Chopped fresh parsley

Instructions
 

  • Season the beef with salt and pepper. Heat a skillet over medium-high heat and brown the beef in batches until all sides are seared. Transfer the beef to the slow cooker.
  • Add the mushrooms, onion, carrots, garlic, tomato paste, thyme, and bay leaves to the slow cooker. Pour in the Guinness and beef broth.
  • Stir everything together, cover, and cook on low for 7 to 8 hours until the beef is very tender.
  • About 30 minutes before serving, bring the water to a boil in a saucepan. Whisk in the polenta and a pinch of salt. Reduce heat and cook, stirring often, until thick and creamy, about 15 minutes.
  • Stir 3 tablespoons of butter into the polenta until melted. Remove the bay leaves from the stew and stir in the remaining tablespoon of butter.
  • Spoon the polenta into bowls, top with the stew, and sprinkle with chopped parsley.

Notes

If the stew seems thin at the end, remove the lid for the last hour to let some liquid evaporate. Use quick-cooking polenta if you want to shorten the final step, but stir it well to avoid lumps. Leftovers reheat nicely on the stove with a splash of broth to loosen the polenta.
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Irish
Equipment: Slow Cooker, Skillet, Saucepan