Guinness Beef and Barley (Printer-Friendly)

A rich blend of beef, barley, and root vegetables slow-cooked in Guinness-infused broth.

# What You'll Need:

→ Meats

01 - 2 lbs beef chuck, cut into 1-inch cubes

→ Vegetables

02 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
03 - 1 large yellow onion, diced
04 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
05 - 3 carrots, peeled and sliced
06 - 2 parsnips, peeled and sliced
07 - 2 celery stalks, sliced
08 - 2 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
09 - 1 small rutabaga or turnip, peeled and diced (about 1 cup)
10 - 1 tablespoon tomato paste

→ Grains

11 - 3/4 cup pearl barley, rinsed

→ Liquids

12 - 1 (15 oz) can or bottle Guinness stout
13 - 4 cups beef broth
14 - 1 cup water

→ Seasonings & Herbs

15 - 2 teaspoons salt, or to taste
16 - 1 teaspoon black pepper
17 - 2 teaspoons dried thyme
18 - 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
19 - 2 bay leaves
20 - 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

→ Optional Garnish

21 - Chopped fresh parsley

# How To Make It:

01 - Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat.
02 - Season beef cubes with salt and pepper. In batches, brown the beef on all sides, about 5 minutes per batch. Transfer browned beef to a plate.
03 - In the same pot, add onion and cook for 3–4 minutes until softened. Add garlic, carrots, parsnips, celery, potatoes, and rutabaga. Sauté for 5 minutes.
04 - Stir in tomato paste and cook for 1 minute.
05 - Return beef to the pot. Add barley, Guinness, beef broth, water, thyme, rosemary, bay leaves, and Worcestershire sauce. Stir to combine.
06 - Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 1.5–2 hours, stirring occasionally, until beef is tender and barley is cooked.
07 - Remove bay leaves. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
08 - Serve hot, garnished with fresh parsley if desired.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • The Guinness doesn't taste boozy or heavy—it dissolves into the broth like a secret ingredient that makes everything taste richer and more complex.
  • You can actually walk away for most of the cooking, which means you get two hours of your life back instead of standing at the stove.
  • It tastes significantly better on day two, so make extra without guilt.
  • One pot means one pot to wash, which alone might be reason enough to make this on a tired evening.
02 -
  • Don't skip browning the beef properly—those browned bits (called fond) are where half the flavor comes from, and they dissolve into the broth during cooking to create depth that you can't fake with extra seasoning.
  • The stew genuinely improves after sitting overnight because the flavors marry and settle, so if you have time, make it a day ahead and reheat it gently on the stovetop.
  • If your stew looks thin after cooking, the issue is usually that the barley didn't cook long enough or your broth was more watered-down than expected—just simmer for another 15 minutes and check again.
03 -
  • Brown the beef properly without crowding the pot—if you pile it all in at once, it steams instead of sears, and you lose that crucial depth of flavor.
  • Taste the stew 15 minutes before you think it's done, because cooking times vary wildly depending on how strong your burner is and how much you've covered the pot; the beef should shred easily with a spoon, and the barley should be soft enough to squish between your tongue and the roof of your mouth.
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