Guinness Beef Stew with Green Dumplings

Guinness Beef Stew with Green Dumplings
Makes 6 – 8 servings
For the Guinness Stew
2 tablespoons olive oil
6 ounces bacon, chopped
2 ½ pounds beef chuck roast, cut into 1 inch cubes
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour, divided
2 onions, chopped
3 carrots, 2 celery stalks
4 tablespoons tomato paste
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 ½ tablespoons minced rosemary leaves
440 ml / 14.9 oz Guinness Draught
3 ½ cups beef stock
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 bay leaves
3 sprigs of thyme
Sea salt and cracked black pepper
For the Green Dumplings
1 tablespoon butter
2 cups baby spinach leaves
¾ cup heavy (whipping) cream, plus more if necessary
1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 garlic clove, minced
Zest of 1 lemon, grated on a microplane
Sea salt
Heat a large dutch oven over medium heat, and add your oil. When the oil is shimmering, add your chopped bacon and cook until crisp and golden. Remove with a slotted spoon, leaving the fat in the dutch oven.
Season the cubed beef all over with sea salt and cracked black pepper, and toss in 1 tablespoon of flour. Working in batches as necessary, brown the beef on all sides, about 8 -10 minutes, then remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.
Go in with your onions, season with a pinch of salt, and cook until softened and translucent, 6 – 8 minutes. Add your carrots, celery, remaining flour, and cook for 1 minute. Add your tomato paste, garlic, and rosemary, and cook 1 minute longer. Next, go in with your Guinness Draught, beef stock, Worcestershire, bay leaves, thyme, and crisp bacon. Season with a generous hit of salt and pepper, then place your beef back into the stew. Bring to a simmer, then let gently bubble and blip away, stirring every so often, until the beef is fork tender and the stew has thickened, about 2 ½ – 3 hours. Taste and adjust seasoning as necessary.
When your stew is almost finished, prepare your dumplings.
Heat a skillet over medium heat and melt your butter. Go in with your spinach and allow to wilt and cook down. Transfer the spinach to a high sided bowl and add your cream, then pulse with a hand blender until smooth. In a large bowl, combine your flour, baking powder, garlic, lemon zest, spinach, and season with salt, then mix until smooth (add more heavy cream if necessary until a wet dough forms).
Dollop the mixture on top of your stew, then cover and cook until risen and cooked through, about 8 – 10 minutes.
Serve your beautiful Guinness Beef Stew with Green Dumplings, and a pint or 2 of the good stuff. Slàinte, everybody!
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