Beef in Guinness

Floured beef cubes get browned hard in oil before onions, garlic, and carrots join the pot. Then comes the star: a full pint and a half of Guinness poured over the top with just enough beef stock to cover. That dusting of seasoned flour on the meat does double duty, building a crust in the pan and thickening the braise as it simmers.

What makes this version work is the final reduction. After the meat and vegetables come out, the sauce goes back on high heat and boils down to half, concentrating the bitter-sweet stout character into something closer to gravy than broth. Serve it over mashed potatoes or with crusty bread to mop the plate.

Pro Tips

• Brown the beef in batches, not all at once. Crowding the pan drops the temperature and the meat will steam gray instead of crusting brown, which is where most of the sauce flavor comes from.
• Don’t skip sauteing the onions in the beef fond. Those sticky browned bits lift off into the oil and build the foundation of the braise.
• Guinness can turn bitter if reduced too aggressively. Taste the sauce as it tightens and pull it off the heat when it coats the back of a spoon.
• A spoonful of brown sugar or a square of dark chocolate stirred in at the end balances the stout’s bitter edge beautifully.

Variations

• Swap the Guinness for a dry Irish stout or a porter for a slightly sweeter, less roasted result.
• Add sliced mushrooms with the onions for an earthier, meatier sauce.
• Stir in a tablespoon of Dijon mustard at the end for a sharper, tangier finish.