Oven-Braised Guinness Beef Stew With Horseradish Cream
- Total Time
- 3 hours
- Rating
- Notes
- Read community notes
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Ingredients
Yield:6 servings
- 3pounds beef chuck, fat trimmed and meat cut into 2-inch pieces
- 2tablespoons plus ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
- Kosher salt and black pepper
- 4tablespoons vegetable oil, plus more as needed
- 3large garlic cloves, chopped
- 2dried shiitake mushrooms, halved (optional)
- 2tablespoons tomato paste
- 2teaspoons packed brown sugar
- 1teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1teaspoon onion powder
- ½teaspoon caraway seeds
- ½teaspoon instant espresso powder
- 2½cups Guinness or other stout beer
- 2½cups beef stock or broth
- 2fresh thyme sprigs
- 1pound red or Yukon gold potatoes, cut into 1- to 2-inch pieces
- 1 to 1½pounds root vegetables, such as carrots, turnips, rutabaga, celery root and parsnips, peeled and cut into 1- to 2-inch pieces
- 1tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1teaspoon lemon juice, plus more to taste
- ¾cup sour cream
- 3tablespoons jarred horseradish
- ¼cup minced scallions or chives
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)
985 calories; 38 grams fat; 13 grams saturated fat; 1 gram trans fat; 20 grams monounsaturated fat; 3 grams polyunsaturated fat; 53 grams carbohydrates; 8 grams dietary fiber; 10 grams sugars; 106 grams protein; 2098 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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- Step 1
Heat oven to 325 degrees. In a large bowl, combine the beef and 2 tablespoons flour. Season generously with salt and pepper and toss to coat. In a Dutch oven, heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil over medium-high. Working in batches, add the beef and let it brown on two sides, about 2 minutes per side. Add a bit more oil if the meat sticks. (You can brown it on more than two sides if you have time, but browning it on two sides is enough to build flavor and texture.) Transfer the browned beef to a bowl or plate.
- Step 2
Make the gravy: Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the remaining 2 tablespoons oil. Add the garlic, dried shiitakes (if using), tomato paste, brown sugar, cocoa, onion powder, caraway seeds and espresso powder. Cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture is fragrant and evenly combined, 1 to 2 minutes. (Reduce the heat to low or remove from the heat temporarily if the bottom of the pan threatens to burn.) Add the remaining ⅓ cup flour and cook, stirring and scraping constantly, until the mixture forms a thick, dry paste, about 1 minute. Add the beer and stock. Increase the heat to high and bring to a boil, whisking constantly to scrape any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Let it boil until smooth and thickened, about 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper and remove from the heat.
- Step 3
Add the beef and any juices, thyme, potatoes and root vegetables. Cover and transfer to the oven. Cook until the beef and vegetables are tender, 2 to 2½ hours.
- Step 4
Add the vinegar, Worcestershire sauce and lemon juice. Taste, and season with more salt, pepper and lemon juice if necessary. (If the stew tastes flat, add more lemon juice first, then more salt and pepper; acid is key to making it taste lively. It may need a surprising amount of salt, especially if you have used unsalted or low-salt stock.) Discard the thyme.
- Step 5
Make the horseradish cream: Stir together the sour cream, horseradish and scallions in a small bowl. Season with salt. Serve stew in bowls with a spoonful of the horseradish cream on top.
Private Notes
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Cooking Notes
Sarah
1: prepare, measure and assemble ingredients for sauce (mushrooms, garlic, brown sugar, onion powder, caraway seeds, cocoa, tomatoe paste, espresso powder, 1/3 cup flour, thyme sprigs) 2: gather and measure broth and beer 3: prepare potatoes and other root vegetables, turn on oven 4: place flour in bag or plate with beef, coat 5: heat oil and brown beef in batches, salt and pepper each batch; 6: make gravey as directed, add beef and bake, covered for 2 1/2 hours. Finish as directed
Sara
This dish was loved by our Irish family on St Pats Day! The only change I made, which is something I always do when making stew, was to add the vegetables 1 to 1-1/2 hours after the beef. This gives ample time for the vegetables to become tender, but not mushy. Wonderful flavor.
Amelia
We loved this recipe as a St Patrick’s Day project to eat all week. You can do this in a slow cooker - just brown your meat and add all ingredients, then leave it for a solid 12 hours (the longer, the better). We didn’t have many of the spices on hand (cocoa, caraway) and used a blend of whatever was around, doubled the garlic, and still had a great result. The beauty of this recipe is that it’s super versatile - and the horseradish cream really brightens the heavy stew up and keeps it fresh.
Diane Bertrand
add 1 chopped medium onion sauteed in 2 T butter lemon juice increased to 1 tablespoon Worcestershire increase to 2 teaspoons Added 2 stalks celery =4 carrots =3 potatoes
Tracy
This was DELICIOUS! I didn't change a thing and the Horseradish Cream was a fantastic compliment.
Lakelady
Thank you NYT Cooking for putting this in the St Patrick’s Day collection. It was the perfect choice for our 10-person dinner group. I did not have cocoa, followed the recipe otherwise, doubled. Used partly Guinness and partly “Black mocha stout” from Highland Brewing. My balsamic at the end was aged and I added a little extra. Root vegetables were carrots and parsnips. Fabulous rich stew!
Mike
I make various stews often, at least in the winter. This is a wonderful stew; Guiness or stout adds so much more complexity than wine. However, I wait to add the potatoes until about half done. That way they're more flavorful and not so mushy.
J. Grimm
This was really good... I had to make a bit more so I used: 4 lbs beef sirloin cut in 1 1/2 inch pieces 3 carrots + 2 parsnips cut 1/2 inch + small red potatoes cut in half Added one large dried chili pasilla de Oaxaca, deseeded/minced + minced 4 dried porcini mushrooms 3T tomato paste & 3t brown sugar Used 20 oz Guinness and a whole carton of beef stock. I was generous with the Worcestershire & aged balsamic & lemon. Left out espresso powder. It fed 10 people and they cleaned their plates!
Val
Wow. After just 20 mins in the oven I was transported by the aroma. The gravy was delicious just out of the oven. Then the tiny bit of acids at the end...unbelievable flavor. Make it. Now!
Bethany
I am a mom of 2 under 5 and I work full-time and I made this on a weekday. I am amazing! This is a nice recipe. I was nervous because I have only ever made a Jacque Pepin recipe with a full bottle of red. I didn’t sear the beef as much as I rouxed it with a chopped onion. I added carrot, celery, turnip and parsnip after an hour. That crème is insane. Added a scoop to my mashed potatoes and the potatoes were the best I ever made. Ahhhmazing.
Jennifer
Excellent. Rich. Prepared exactly to recipe. Browned meat in three batches. Next time, use much less oil to brown meat.
Ben
Exactly what you dream of beef stew tasting like. I added an onion along with the potatoes and it worked well. Instead of cooking carrots in the stew, I tossed them with olive oil, salt, and pepper and roasted them at a high heat so that they caramelized a bit. I threw them into the stew right before serving. It added a nice texture contrast.
J. Grimm
Meant to add that because I cut everything smaller it cut the cooking time to just under 2 hours. Served with crusty sourdough boule baked with garlic and parsley. Yum!
Jaime
Needed to add more balsamic at the end to get rid of the bitter after taste. Then it was very good. We enjoyed it with the soda bread.
Eliza383
Made this from quarantine today, so didn’t have everything - only 1lb beef and no sour cream. So I reduced the recipe by 1/3 and ignored the sauce, cooked for just over an hour and it was delicious. Delicious! So it does halve or third well, just remember to reduce the cooking time.
Magicflute
To brown the beef, if you have a griddle, cut the roast in long 2"-wide strips. Then dredge with the flour on all sides of each strip (I had sort of 2.5 strips). Brown on all four sides, then cut into cubes. So much more efficient, and it maximizes the browning flavors by having been browned on four of six sides. (I remove browned bits sticking to the griddle using a spatula, transferring the bits (and some fats) to the dutch oven before starting to cook the roux.)
Bob
Made this on 3 May for Rusty, Charlie and Freddie down from Sydney.
Cynthia
LOVED this recipe, I made it last night and the final dish was sublime. The stout-based gravy is genius. It was also super fun to make. Minor notes below to help me execute even better next time. Thank you NYT Cooking! Notes: Add 2t salt to sauce. Use high quality chuck, chop smaller, season well with S&P let come to room temp., then coat and brown in grapeseed oil. Fresh chopped shiitakes worked great, use whole pkg next time. Recipe seems to like lots of carrots.
tlhb
I concur with all of the comments. This was a wonderful Sunday supper recipe for a cold and rainy day. However, it is even better the next day when the flavors really meld and you can skim the fat from the richly marbled chuck toast. The horseradish cream was wonderful!
Vanessa
Like many others here I don’t use powdered anything. So I sautéd a whole onion after browning the beef and added a single espresso with the other liquids. The only other slight alterations I made were to remove the fresh thyme leaves from their sprigs (they seem to have melted into the gravy) and to simmer the stew on the stovetop for twenty minutes instead of baking for two hours. I wonder if baking would have changed the taste in any way. As it was, the result was a delectable, rich stew!
Pretzel
Not worth it, in my view. For the time and trouble it takes, I'd rather have a nice carbonnade a la flamande.
Traveler
I have tinkered with my version of this recipe for years. I have never used brown sugar or cocoa powder - must try. I do add chopped bacon and a small amount of cognac or brandy. Sometimes a crust or a piece of puff pastry to make it a "pie."This is my favorite stew. The first thing I order when I go to the UK.
Susan
Wanted to give this recipe a try, so as I always do, read through the helpful comments and made modifications, such as adding an onion and waiting to add the vegetables until about an hour and half before finish. The rich gravy, perfectly cooked vegetables, and the flavor - it was delicious. My husband loved it so much, he took some leftovers to a neighbor to share and HE said the recipe was a keeper. I've already shared the recipe with a couple of friends.
Eve
Just okay. We probably won't make it again. We followed the tips but it needs more umph and probably more vegetables- way heavy on the beef to veggie ratio.
Edward O
This was mind-blowingly good without any substitutions save for dried thyme in lieu of fresh which the market was out of (about a quarter tsp vs. two sprigs). Two things that blew my mind: 1. I could not specifically discern the taste of stout, cocoa, espresso, onion or tomato; just an amazingly complex umami flavor bomb! 2. While I did dutifully trim all the big pieces of fat I was still amazed at how fatty this stew WASN'T! None at all visible after a night in the fridge!
marjorie
Has anyone experienced this to being bitter from the beer? And if so what do you do?
Joan
Used Guinness Extra Stout beer. When I tasted the gravy, before cooking for 8 hours in the slow cooker, it was extremely bitter, and I was worried that I had ruined the stew. But, miraculously, the bitterness dissipated, and the end result was excellent. This improved with age over the course of a few days. Also, I substituted fennel seed for the caraway, since I couldn't find the caraway.
Barbara Delp
Excellent recipe, made exactly as written, and much enjoyed when served for dinner party of 6 for St. Patrick's Day. Easily executed and the horseradish cream really complimented the flavors. Happy that I resisted substituting sirloin for the chuck based on one review as the chuck was superb. This recipe has handily bumped my favorite stew recipes right off the cookbook shelf, including the former favorite made with short-rib beef. My husband gives it 5 stars!
Michael B
Excellent recipe. Used dried Porcini mushrooms instead of the Shitake mushrooms. The dry ingredients make for a delicious hearty complex stew. The horseradish cream is a nice finish. Definitely a keeper!
Kurt Marhefka
WOuldn't change a thing.
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