Hooray for Mac Monday: Irish Beef Stew (a Mac original!)

A few weeks back I was looking for a good beef stew recipe to do for Mac Monday, but none
of the recipes I found online really piqued any interest.  While home for thanksgiving, I talked
to two of my uncles, both of whom you could call "culinary experts."  They gave me the basic
rundown on how to make beef stew, but they reminded me that the great part about beef stews
is that there is not one right way to make it; you can make it differently every time and it will
still turn out great!

The crazy McCormick's... somehow all great cooks!

So I took their advice and gave beef stew a shot.  The following recipe is what resulted and I think it turned out pretty good.  However, considering I have been eating beef stew since Friday with no end in sight, I can safely say that I did make a little bit too much.  I looked at the recipe on the back of the canned beef broth for some basic ideas on how long each step of the cooking should take, but then I just improvised the rest of the way.


Ingredients:
Serves: 8-12
2 lbs of beef, chopped into 1 inch cubes
4 potatoes
2 cups chopped carrots
2 cups chopped celery
2 cups chopped onions
6 cloves of garlic, crushed and pealed
4 cans of beef broth
2 12 oz. bottle of Guinness draught
Salt
Pepper
Thyme
Parsley
Vegetable oil


Preparation:
In a really big pot, most likely the biggest one you have, (sorry I don’t know how big exactly
mine is because it is one I inherited from the people who lived in my apartment before me) cover
the bottom with a thin coating of vegetable oil and place it over medium heat.  
Then add the crushed garlic.  While the garlic begins to cook, place the meat into a large mixing bowl. 
Add a few generous pinches of salt, pepper, thyme and parsley and stir until they are evenly spread out on the beef.
Add the beef to the pot and stir frequently until the meat is browned on all sides, about 20 minutes. 
There should be little bits of beef starting to stick to the pot before you add the liquids. 
Once the beef is browned add 1 bottle of Guinness and then the beef broth. 
Bring it to a boil and then let it simmer for 90 minutes. 
Add some additional thyme if you are feeling adventurous. 
After the 90 minutes of simmering, stir in the potatoes, carrots, onions and celery. 
Add in the 2nd bottle of Guinness. 
Increase the heat to medium-high and bring to a boil. 
Let the stew boil for about 20-30 minutes or until the vegetables are cooked through (the potatoes are the key). 
Add any additional salt and pepper to the broth based upon your personal taste, but remember it is always better to under season rather than over season. 
You can always season your individual serving to your taste. Now comes the best part, serve and enjoy!

A little grainy, but you can still tell it's delicious!

I hope you enjoy this recipe. It is an easy way to have a nice warm and hearty meal in the winter
time. Remember, cook what you love, and love what you eat.