Guiness Beef Stew

Another autumn comfort food staple...Beef Stew. I have many renditions of this family favorite--but this one is basic, hearty and flavorful.

1/2 C. Flour
3 lbs. Beef (Chuck, Stew Meat, etc), cut into bite-size pieces
2 Tbsp. Unsalted Butter
4 Potatoes (Russet are the heartiest), cut into bite-sized pieces
3 large carrots, cut into bite-sized pieces (I used 1 cup baby carrots because that is what I had)
1 Onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic
1 bay leaf
2 Tbsp. Worchester Sauce
2 C. Chicken Broth (beef or veggie--- this is what I had on hand)
1 Bottle Guiness
Ground Thyme
Smoked Paprika (don't substitute with regular paprika--- VERY different)
Sea Salt
Pepper
Bag of Frozen Corn
Crushed Red Pepper
Red Wine
Steak sauce, to taste
Olive Oil

Heavily season the flour with salt and pepper in a medium-size mixing bowl.
Pat the bite-size pieces of meat with paper towels to dry and toss in the flour till lightly covered.
In a large skillet, heat a little olive oil and 1 tbsp. butter and add meat (setting aside the bowl of flour). Brown the outside of the meat, but don't cook thoroughy. Add the bottle of guinness and let simmer. Make sure to scrape the bottom of the pan to get the flour bits up to thicken and create a gravy.

In the flour bowl, toss potatoes until lightly covered.
In a large pot, heat more olive oil and 2 tbsp. of butter. Add onions and garlic until soft. Throw in potatoes and saute for a couple minutes. Add the carrots, bay leaf, chicken broth, meat and guiness mixture and worchester sauce. Stir and bring to a boil. Season heavily with smoked paprika, salt, pepper and thyme.  I, of course toss in some crushed red pepper. Add the frozen corn. Turn down to a simmer.

The stew should be fairly brothy at this point, so let it cook for about an hour or until it cooks down. I add a good splash of red wine (maybe 1/3 cup)  and 2 or 3 tablespoons of steak sauce (like A-1, I used an English Steak Sauce) for an extra sweet kick .
It's rich and delicious. Enjoy with a frosty beer or a glass of red wine.

Cheers!
-E