Beef and Irish Stout Stew

2 pounds lean beef stew meat, cut into 1-inch cubes
3 TBS vegetable oil, divided
2 TBS all-purpose flour
1 pinch salt and ground pepper to taste
1 pinch cayenne pepper
2 large onions, chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
2 TBS tomato paste
1 1/2 cups Irish Stout Beer (Such as Guinness)
1 spring fresh thyme
1 TBS chopped fresh parsley for garnish
1 10 oz packed of stew mixed vegetables, frozen
2 large potatoes shopped into 1 inch cubes

1. Toss the beef cubes with 1 TBS of vegetable oil. In a separate bowl, stir together the flour, salt, pepper and cayenne pepper. Dredge the beef in this to coat.

2. Heat the remaining oil in a deep skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the beef, and brown on all sides. Add the onions, and garlic. Stir the tomato paste into a small amount of water to dilute; pour into the pan and stir to blend. Reduce the heat to medium, cover and cook for 5 minutes.

3. Pour 1/2 cups of the beer into the pan, and as it begins to boil, scrape any bits of food from the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. This adds a lot of flavor to the broth. Pour in the rest of the beer, and add the carrots and thyme. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 2 to 3 hours, stirring occasionally. Taste and adjust seasoning before serving. Garnish with chopped parsley.

Serving Size: 6

Number of Servings: 6

Recipe submitted by SparkPeople user SBBB10.