Guinness Beef Stew Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How do you make beef and Guinness stew less bitter? ›

Naturally sweet ingredients, like onions, carrots, and tomato paste work to balance some of the bitterness.

Place a lid on top, turn heat down to low, then simmer for 2 hours, stirring occasionally. Remove lid then gently simmer for another 1-1/2 hours, or until the meat is tender and stew has thickened, stirring occasionally. If the stew begins to reduce too quickly before the meat is tender, place the lid back on top.

The most important key to making stew meat tender is being sure to cook it for a long time. If you want super tender beef, you'll need to cook it on a low heat in a Dutch oven on the stove or a slow cooker for at least a few hours.

"By combining tomato paste, red wine, and Worcestershire sauce in this beef stew recipe, you're capturing as many flavor components as possible and ensuring a delicious meal," she says.

Add some bubbles

And if you haven't got a house to remortgage to get some champagne, give the Poor Man's Black Velvet a try, and throw in some cider instead of champagne. You'll get a similar effect from the bubbles and no one will know otherwise.

Add sugar and/or ketchup to the stew to reduce the bitterness. Butter and salt also help to reduce the bitter taste. Perhaps the beef fat has been cooked too hot and too long. All animal fats, when cooked very hot and very long, start to taste non optimal.

"Soups and stews really need to simmer for long periods to allow the ingredients to meld together. Taking that a step further, most soups and stews are better if you prepare them the day before serving. Allowing them to cool and then reheating them really helps bring out the flavors and textures."

The choice becomes easier when you realize that simple baking soda can be an ideal meat tenderizer that helps to bring out all the aromas and flavors in every sizzling beef stew or charburger.

Don't Stew the Stew Too Long Either

Your beef will be tough if you don't cook it enough and it will be tough if you cook it too much. It's just science, take it from us! We recommend doing a taste test or two throughout the cooking process to gauge the progress.

What vegetables are good in beef stew? ›

The ingredients for Easy Beef and Vegetable Stew can be modified to include green beans, peas, corn, and mushrooms as well. I often throw in a bag of baby carrots already peeled and prepared instead of peeling and chopping carrots.

Bring to a boil, then cover and braise in the oven for 2 hours. After 2 hours, add the carrots and potatoes. Return to the oven and continue cooking for one hour, or until the meat is fork-tender, the broth is thickened, and the carrots and potatoes are tender.

A bit of tomato paste amps up the flavor of beef stew, giving it a richness and a punch of umami that makes the stew truly memorable.

Fish sauce, soy sauce, peanut butter, anchovies, Worcestershire, maggi all add extra depth. The maggi in particular amps up the meaty umami.

Use cornstarch to thicken your stew towards the end of cooking, as cooking it for a long time can break down the starch and your stew will thin out again.

Isohumulones are the primary source of bitterness in Guinness and, generally speaking, in beers. The more humulone available during boiling, the more likely it is to isomerise and thus produce isohumulones.

Caramelization is a great way of turning gamey into delicious. If that doesn't do it for you then turn up the seasonings. Even just more black pepper can do wonders.

The addition of a roux or thickener may blunt some of the bitterness. A bit more salt helps too.

If a dish is too sour, add a little bit of sugar! Sweetness balances out sour flavors, so if something makes your mouth pucker, a dash of sugar may help soften the blow of the sour food.