Beef And Guinness Stew

Beef And Guinness Stew 1 1/2 3 pounds boneless beef chuck roast , trimmed and cut into thick 1 1/2-inch pieces salt and pepper to season 4 tablespoons olive oil (plus more if needed) 2 medium-sized brown onions , chopped 1 tablespoon minced garlic 3 large carrots , peeled and chopped into thick slices 2 celery stalks , chopped into thick pieces 4 large potatoes , quartered 1/4 cup plain flour 1 1/2 cups Guinness Beer 3 tablespoons tomato paste 1 tablespoon brown sugar (optional) 4 cups (or 1 litre or 1 quart) beef broth (beef stock) 1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme Extra salt and pepper to season , to your tastes 2 tablespoons fresh parsley , chopped Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and preheat oven to 160°C | 325°F. Season beef generously with salt and pepper. Heat oil in dutch oven or a heavy based, oven-proof pot over medium-high heat. Sear beef in batches of three or four until browned all over. (Use more oil where needed.) Transfer to a warm plate. Add onion and garlic to the pan juices; sauté until soft and transparent. Add the carrots, celery and potatoes, and cook for a further 2 minutes. Stir the flour into the vegetables in the pan, coating them evenly. Cook, stirring occasionally, for a further 2 minutes. Pour in the Guinness; mix well to dissolve flour, then add the tomato paste, brown sugar, chicken broth and thyme, scraping up any browned bits on the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon. Bring to a simmer and cook until slightly thickened, (about 5 minutes). Add the beef back into the pot along with any juices released. Partially cover the pot; transfer to the oven and bake for 2 1/2 - 3 hours (stir stew twice through cooking). Carefully remove from the oven, and season with salt and pepper, if desired, to your tastes. Garnish with parsley and serve with mashed potatoes. Notes *For a thicker gravy, mix 1 heaping tablespoon of cornstarch together with 2 tablespoons of water; add after baking in the oven while it's still bubbling. You can turn on your stove to low heat to do this, stirring the cornstarch through until thickened to your liking. FOR THE SLOW COOKER: Add the browned beef into a 6 qt slow cooker bowl, along with the rest of the ingredients EXCEPT for the flour. Cook on low setting for 7-8 hours, or high setting for 4-5 hours. In the last half an hour of cooking, ladle out 1/2 cup liquid out of the slow cooker; mix the liquid with the 1/4 of flour until smooth and blended; then pour the flour mixture through the liquid (change to high setting if cooking on low).