1kg Stewing steak
2 Medium Onions
2 Carrots
2 Sticks Celery
2 Bay leaves
2 Cloves Garlic
1 330ml bottle Guinness
Handful fresh Thyme
Sunflower oil
30g Flour
Salt & Pepper
Preheat the oven to 220C or Gas 3
Peel and chop the onions. Wash the celery and thickly slice, wash and peel the carrots then slice. Wash and dry the thyme. Peel the garlic. Cut the beef into decent size cubes.
In a casserole dish brown the beef in sunflower oil, you made need to do this in batches. Remove when browned and set aside. Lower the heat and add a little more oil to the casserole then add the onions, carrots, celery, bay and thyme and allow to cook for 5 minutes. Add the flour stirring well then allow to cook for 2 minutes stirring all the time. Pour in the Guinness and bring the casserole to a simmer to thicken the sauce. If it looks a but to thick add some water or beef stock. Put the beef back in and stir. Put a lid on the casserole and cook in the oven for a minimum of 2 hours. You can leave the casserole cooking for longer just use the lowest oven shelf and it will be great after 4 or 5 hours.
Season with salt and pepper and serve. Great with mashed potato to soak up the sauce.
