Cèad mìle fàilte!* My love for Ireland runs deep — so deep that at one point I even wanted to learn a bit of Gaelic. Looking back, I realize I’m the kind of person who needs a vivid passion: something that pulls you to read, study, dream and commit. During my university years that passion was Ireland.
I listened to U2, The Corrs and The Chieftains. I sought out lesser-known Irish folk bands too, whenever the music had that lively spark that made you want to stand up and dance. I read W. B. Yeats and many contemporary Irish writers: Roddy Doyle, Nuala O’Faolain, Joseph O’Connor, Frank McCourt and Cecelia Ahern. I still have a soft spot for Ahern’s novels, and lately I’ve been itching to revisit Pete McCarthy’s McCarthy’s Bar — if you haven’t read it, look it up and be ready to laugh until you cry.
* It means “a hundred thousand welcomes,” and it’s the only Gaelic phrase I ever learned.
I dreamed of endless green fields, shamrocks and leprechauns. I longed to see the Cliffs of Moher, the Aran Islands, Dublin and the vast Irish sky. In 2002 that dream finally came true — it felt like finding the one shamrock in a rugby field full of clovers.
Tomorrow is St. Patrick’s Day, so I decided to celebrate my old passion for Ireland by making my first Irish stew. It was also the first time I used a pressure cooker and the first time I cooked with beer. The result was so good that I’ll definitely keep experimenting with both pressure-cooking and beer-based recipes.
Irish Beef Stew with Guinness
Author: Giulia
Prep Time: 15 mins | Cook Time: 45 mins | Total Time: 1 hr | Servings: 6 | Course: Meat
Ingredients
- 1 red onion
- extra virgin olive oil
- 2 heaping tbsp plain flour
- salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- a pinch of Cayenne pepper
- 800 g diced beef
- 4 medium carrots
- 1 celery stalk
- 400 g potatoes, diced
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 rosemary sprig
- 1 thyme sprig
- 250 ml Guinness
- 500 ml light vegetable stock
Instructions
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Finely slice the onion. Sauté it in the pressure cooker with a few tablespoons of olive oil for about 5 minutes, adding a splash of water if needed to prevent the onion from browning too quickly.
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While the onion cooks, rub the beef with a little olive oil. Mix the flour with a pinch of salt, freshly ground black pepper and the Cayenne pepper. Toss the beef cubes in the flour, shaking off any excess. Add the meat to the pressure cooker and, if necessary, a little more oil. Brown the beef cubes on all sides, about 2–3 minutes per side.
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Pour 250 ml of Guinness into the cooker and let it simmer for about 5 minutes to reduce slightly. Add the sliced celery and carrots and the diced potatoes, along with a pinch of salt, the bay leaf, thyme and rosemary. Add 500 ml of vegetable stock, stir, close the lid and bring to pressure. Cook for 30 minutes from the moment it reaches pressure, then remove from the heat and allow it to depressurize and cool slightly.
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Open the cooker and check the meat. If the sauce is too thin, bring it to a boil to reduce and concentrate the flavors. Otherwise, it should be ready to serve. Garnish with fresh thyme and serve with slices of bread to soak up the delicious juices.
Notes
You can also make this stew in a cast-iron pot: follow the recipe up to the point where you add the broth, then cover and simmer gently for at least 2 hours, adding extra stock if needed.
This stew embodies everything I love about simple, comforting cooking: bold flavors, humble ingredients and the warm pleasure of a shared meal. Whether you celebrate St. Patrick’s Day or simply crave a hearty dinner, this Guinness beef stew is worth trying — especially if, like me, you have a soft spot for the Emerald Isle.