Guinness Beef Stew

Make sure to buy large chunks of stew meat. Trim meat of excess fat, and cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces. Be gentle when stirring in the flour in step 3 - the fork tender beef will fall apart if stirred too aggressively. Just a good old-fashioned tasting stew, with a modern upbeat of ingredients, Source: Cooks Country.

• Ready In: 10 hrs
• Serves: 6-8

Ingredients

• 4  lbs  boneless beef chuck  stew meat
•  table salt
•  ground black pepper
• 2  onions, chopped
• 4  cups low sodium chicken broth
• 1 1⁄2 cups  Guinness stout, draught
• 1  tablespoon light brown sugar
• 1  teaspoon  dired thyme
• 1  ounce bittersweet chocolate, chopped
• 2  bay leaves
• 5  carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
• 1  lb parsnip, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
• 1 1⁄2 lbs  . baby red potatoes, scrubbed
• 1⁄4 cup flour
• 2  tablespoons fresh parsley, minced

Directions

1. Pat beef dry with paper towels and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Heat 2 teaspoons oil in large skillet over medium-high until just smoking. Cook half of beef until browned on all sides, about 8 minutes. Transfer to slow cooker insert and repeat with additional 2 teaspoons oil and remaining beef.
2. Add remaining 2 teaspoons oil, onions and 1/4 teaspoons salt to skillet and cook until onions are lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add broth, 1 1/4 cups stout, sugar, thyme chocolate, and bay leaves and bring to boil, using wooden spoon to scrape up browned bits. Transfer to slow cooker insert.
3. Add carrots, parsnips, and potatoes to slow cooker insert. Cover and cook on low until meat is tender, 9-10 hours (or cook on high for 6 to 7 hours). Set slow cooker to high. Whisk flour and remaining 1/4 cup beer until smooth, then stir mixture into slow cooker. Cook, covered, until sauce thickens, about 15 minutes. Stir in parsley, Season wirh salt and pepper, and discard bay leaves. Serve.
4. MAKE AHEAD: You can prepare the recipe through step 2 the night before the ingredients go into the slow cooker. Refrigerate the browned meat the the onion mixture in separate containers. In the morning, transfer the beef and the onion mixture to the slow cooker and proceed with step 3.