St Patrick’s Day… I have a few vague memories of the last time I actually went out on St Patrick’s Day. Well over 20 years ago, I was in San Francisco, had just opened up a Westin Hotel, and we had a banquet captain named Sean Hennigan who had just transferred there from Chicago. I showed him how San Francisco celebrates the day – and night… Somehow, we survived…
Fast forward to this weekend…
My cousin, Tom and his lovely wife Barb were in town from Omaha for a conference. They had limited time because of 2 functions they had to attend. After almost 6 years, my schedule had just changed a few weeks ago and I was now working Saturday. I did a quick “I need to leave early on Saturday” plea with work (no problem!!) and made plans to meet at 3:30 at an Irish Pub a few blocks from their hotel.
What we didn’t plan for was it being March 15th – 2 days before St Patrick’s Day. Every college kid and their Italian roommate had put on their green and were packing the city’s three Irish bars. So much for a quiet cocktail and conversation. We ended up at the Bellevue (Park Hyatt) and spent a lot of money for quieter surroundings. It was worth it!
St Paddy’s Day was a fun one in my youth, but – let’s face it – I ain’t no youth, anymore. Today, I’m more apt to want to enjoy a nice dinner than a noisy, crowded bar with beer being spilled on me. Growing older is a good think…
So… we invited Victor’s mom over and I made Beef Braised in Guinness.
We came up with this recipe years ago. It’s a great dish for parties, because it can be doubled, tripled, or quintupled with ease. It was definitely a huge hit when we had Pop’s cousin’s from Omaha over for St. Paddy’s dinner years ago. They still talk about it! I also brought it in to UCSF one year and it became a staple on the Moffitt Cafe menu for St Paddy’s Day. It’s a refreshing change from Corned Beef and Cabbage!
Beef Braised in Guinness
- 2 pounds beef steak, cut in pieces
- 3 medium onions, sliced
- 1 pound carrots, sliced into sticks
- all-purpose flour
- Salt and pepper
- Garlic powder
- 3 tbsp butter
- 1 tbsp fresh basil, minced
- 1 bottle Guinness
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1 cup beef broth
Cut the meat into serving sizes. Pound them to tenderize and for a uniform thickness. Peel the onions and slice. Peel the carrots and slice them into sticks. Place the flour in a dish and mix in 1 tsp of salt, pepper, and a bit of garlic powder. Heat the butter in a sautè pan, add the onions and cook until soft. Transfer them to a large, shallow, greased ovenproof dish.
Dredge the pieces of meat in the seasoned flour and brown. Remove as they are cooked and place on top of the onions in a single layer. Arrange the carrots around them. Add a little more butter to the pan and stir in the seasoned flour to make a roux.
Cook for a minute or two, stirring constantly and scraping up all the browned bits then add the Guinness. Allow to boil for a minute or two, then add the basil, honey and the broth. Return to a boil and pour over the meat. Cover the dish and bake at 325° for 90 minutes.
I made up a pot of mashed potatoes and dinner was served.
Light-years away from those noisy bars, but somehow, even more satisfying…