Our Beef Braised in Guinness took a turn to the better, this evening. This is a dish I’ve been making for years and haven’t really varied much from the basic. Tonight, we varied!
It started with Victor not knowing what I was planning for dinner, tonight, so he went into the kitchen and made a batch of pasta. Our meals are pretty flexible – either of us can just go in and decide to do dinner without fanfare or consultation. It works for us.
I said, great, I was going to do Beef in Guinness but nothing had been prepped. He said he’d freeze the dough. I said No… make wide noodles. I had a plan…
Instead of doing my typical large pieces of beef and potatoes, I did stew-sized pieces – sans potatoes – and made a bit of a different dish. A stew-like dish with noodles. Same rich, delicious flavor – just a different final presentation.
Part of the fun of cooking is switching things out – being creative. Tonight, we were creative.
Beef Braised in Guinness
- 16 oz beef, in cubes
- 1 large leek, diced
- 8 shallots, halved
- 2 carrots, sliced
- 2 celery stalks, sliced
- 1 pound assorted mushrooms
- all-purpose flour
- Salt and pepper
- Garlic powder
- 3 tbsp butter
- 1 tsp basil
- 2 bottles Guinness
- 2 tbsp honey
- Fresh pasta noodles
Cut the meat into cubes. Peel the shallots and slice in half. Chop the leek. Slice the carrots into rounds.
Place the flour in a dish and mix in 1 tsp of salt, pepper, and a bit of garlic powder. Heat the butter in an oven proof pan with lid. Dredge the pieces of meat in the seasoned flour and brown. Set aside as the pieces are cooked. Add the leeks and shallots and cook until soft. Add the carrots and mushrooms and cook until mushrooms have wilted.
Add the Guinness. Allow to boil for a minute or two, then add the basil and honey. Add the meat. Taste and add salt and pepper, as needed.
Cover the dish and bake at 325° for about 90 minutes.
Right before taking out of the oven, cook pasta noodles. Drain well and add to the stew.
Flexibility really is key in cooking. Hell, it’s key in life. We ended up with a perfect meal that both of us contributed to and exceeded what either of us had thought about making individually. We added a couple of slices of the Soda Bread with Cayenne I had made earlier in the day.
It does not suck to be us.