Guinness Beef Stew

 This dish is found in many pubs throughout Ireland, and we've made it successfully at home and in self-catering holiday locations. It's an easy and very tasty recipe.

1 lb (0.5 kg) beef cubes, from butcher
1 large or 2 small yellow onions, diced
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
a few heaping tablespoons flour
ground thyme
At least 2 large cans of Guinness (one for cooking, the rest for drinking!)
beef broth
salt and pepper

In a large pan heat some oil, then toss in beef cubes. Brown the beef, when finished remove beef from pan with the juices and set aside in a bowl.
Use a spoonful of the juices plus a little more oil, and toss in the onions. Let them cook for a few minutes over low heat, then add the garlic.
After a minute or so add in salt, pepper and thyme, stir, then add in the beef. Add a few spoons of flour and stir -- the cubes should get covered in flour, but the flour should turn into a brown paste around the beef. (Don’t use so much flour that there is still white in the pan.) Now add in the Guinness and beef broth, make sure the heat is very low, and cook for an hour or two. It's best to cook this uncovered for a little while to reduce the sauce, then cover as it starts to thicken. You can always add water to thin it out if necessary. Once it starts to thicken it is important to stir frequently as the sauce will burn on the bottom of the pan. Serve with mashed potatoes, or roasted potatoes with thyme. Obviously you want to eat this with a Guinness. If you have extra sauce left over once the beef cubes have all been eaten, it makes a nice snack to spread the gravy on a piece of toast.
Depending on what region of Ireland you are in, you might substitute any local dark stout or porter beer for Guinness.

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