Guinness Beef Stew
Photo: HarshLight from San Jose, CA, USA · CC BY 2.0

History

Beef in stout is older than Guinness, but the 1759 St James's Gate stout brewery formalised the recipe across Dublin pub kitchens. The classic Irish stew uses lamb and no stout; the beef and Guinness variant became the Dublin pub menu signature from the 1970s onwards. The dish needs three hours minimum to reduce the stout to a glossy syrupy gravy and to break the beef shin down. Every Dublin pub serves a version; the Brazen Head's is the city's reference, the Stag's Head and L. Mulligan Grocer's are the gastropub upgrades.

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Common allergens: Gluten

Make it at home

Yield 4Hands-on 30 minTotal 3 hr 30 minDifficulty Easy

Ingredients

  • 1kg beef shin or chuck, cut into 4cm chunks
  • 3 tbsp plain flour, seasoned with salt and pepper
  • 2 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 2 large onions, sliced
  • 3 carrots, peeled and cut into 2cm pieces
  • 2 sticks celery, sliced
  • 3 cloves garlic, crushed
  • 440ml Guinness Extra Stout (1 can)
  • 500ml beef stock
  • 2 tbsp tomato puree
  • 1 tbsp brown sugar
  • 2 bay leaves, a sprig of thyme
  • Mashed potato and brown soda bread to serve

Method

  1. Toss the beef in the seasoned flour. Heat the oil in a heavy casserole pot over high heat and brown the beef in three batches, removing each to a plate.
  2. Reduce the heat. Add the onions, carrots, celery and garlic; sweat for 10 minutes.
  3. Return the beef to the pot. Stir in the tomato puree and brown sugar; cook for 2 minutes.
  4. Pour in the Guinness, scraping the brown bits from the bottom. Bring to a simmer and let bubble for 3 minutes.
  5. Add the stock, bay leaves and thyme. Bring to a simmer, then cover and cook in a 160C oven for 2 hours 30 minutes.
  6. Remove the lid for the final 30 minutes; the gravy should reduce to a glossy syrup.
  7. Check seasoning; serve over creamy mashed potato with brown soda bread for the gravy.

Tip from the editors. Brown the beef hard in small batches; the colour is the flavour. Do not skip the bay leaves; they cut the Guinness bitterness.

Where to eat guinness beef stew

Guinness Beef Stew in Dublin

The Brazen Head ★ 4.4

€€€ Cocktail barTraditional pubThe Liberties

The Brazen Head on Bridge Street Lower in Dublin 8, established 1198 as Ireland's oldest pub, the present 1754 coaching inn serves Irish stew and trad.

DrinkGuinness with an Irish stew

FoodFull Irish pub kitchen, food to 21:00

TipFood served until 21:00 daily; nightly trad music sessions from 21:00. The back snug holds eight; the courtyard runs summer only.

Directions

L. Mulligan Grocer ★ 4.6

€€€ Cocktail barGastropubStoneybatter

L. Mulligan Grocer on Stoneybatter in Dublin 7, the Northside gastropub of black pudding arancini, Irish seafood chowder and chicken Kiev, no Guinness.

DrinkIrish craft beer (no Guinness)

FoodModern Irish gastropub kitchen

TipClosed Mondays and Tuesdays. The Wednesday early dinner is the calm window; Sunday lunch books two weeks ahead online.

Directions

The Stag's Head ★ 4.5

€€€ Cocktail barTraditional pubSouth City Centre

The Stag's Head on Dame Court in Dublin 2, a Victorian pub since 1860 with original mahogany and a stained-glass roof, the city's archetypal Dublin pub.

DrinkGuinness with an Irish stew

FoodIrish pub menu, full kitchen

TipTwo bars; the downstairs is the trad pub, the upstairs Parliament Hotel is the late bar. Irish stew at lunch is the value play.

Directions

Davy Byrnes ★ 4.3

€€€ Cocktail barTraditional pubSouth City Centre

Davy Byrnes on Duke Street in Dublin 2, the moral pub since 1798, the Joycean Bloomsday stop for a Gorgonzola sandwich and a glass of Burgundy.

DrinkBurgundy with a Gorgonzola sandwich

FoodIrish seafood and pub plates

TipBloomsday on 16 June fills before 11:00; the back room sits forty. Seafood plates run all day.

Directions

All Dublin signature dishes →

Guinness Beef Stew in Galway

Tigh Neachtain ★ 4.7

€€€ Cocktail barTraditional Irish pubLatin Quarter

Tigh Neachtain on Cross Street Galway is the most ambient trad-session pub in the west; low ceilings, open fire and live music most nights since 1894.

DrinkPint of Guinness in one of Galway's oldest pub interiors

FoodBar snacks only

Directions

The King's Head ★ 4.1

€ IrishLatin Quarter

The Kings Head on High Street Galway serves weekday lunch from €9 in a pub licensed since 1611; the soup-and-sandwich deal beats every city centre cafe.

OrderWild Atlantic chowder with soda bread and butter: the €10 lunchtime standard at the King's Head

Directions

The Quays Bar ★ 4.1

€€ IrishLatin QuarterUntil 01:30 Fri-Sat

The Quays on Quay Street Galway runs trad sessions until late seven nights a week; the three-floor Victorian bar is the most spacious late-night venue around.

TryBar food until 21:00 then pints in the medieval hall until close

Directions

Crane Bar ★ 4.6

€€ IrishWestendUntil 02:30 Fri-Sat (last drink); sessions until 01:30

The Crane Bar on Sea Road Galway keeps trad sessions running late on weeknights; the after-midnight Galway music crowd fills every seat in the narrow bar.

TryNo food service: come for the trad session and the pint

Directions

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