By Angie Battle
- 4 TBSP unsalted butter, divided
- 2 large red onions, sliced thin
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 carrots, peeled and chopped
- 2 ribs celery, chopped
- 1 lb. cremini mushrooms, cleaned & halved or quartered (depending on size)
- 2 lbs. beef stew meat or chuck roast cut into 1-2” pieces
- Kosher salt & fresh ground black pepper
- 2 TBSP flour
- 1 sprig rosemary
- 1-2 cans Guinness beer
- 7 oz. fresh grated Kerrygold Aged Cheddar cheese, divided
- 1 sheet puff pastry, thawed according to package directions
This stew actually tastes better/richer at least a day or two after making. Feel free to make it 2-4 days in advance of serving to enrich the flavor and speed up dinner the night of! It also makes a great stew, reheated as is, without adding the puff pastry top.
- In a large Dutch oven or other ovenproof pan (fitted with lid), heat 2 TBSP. butter over medium-low heat. Add the onions and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until soft and somewhat translucent, about ten minutes.
- Increase the heat to medium, then add remaining butter, carrots, celery & mushrooms and cook until the mushrooms are dark in color and the moisture they release is almost completely evaporated, about 15 minutes or so.
- Preheat the oven to 375°.
- Season the beef all over with salt and pepper.
- Increase the heat on the stovetop to high. Add the seasoned beef, flour and rosemary sprig to the pan and cook, stirring once or twice to give the beef a chance to brown a bit. Continue for about five minutes.
- Turn off the stovetop heat, then add just enough beer to cover the beef. (It will initially bubble up. Give it a minute or two for bubbles to reside to ensure you indeed have enough liquid covering the beef.) Cover the pan with a tight-fitting lid and put it in the oven for 1 ½ hours.
- Stir, continue to cook, covered, for another hour.
- Season to taste with salt and pepper, then fold in half of the cheese. At this point, either refrigerate until ready to use, or place stew into 8” square casserole or 9” deep pie pan. (If you are refrigerating, let the stew sit at room temperature for an hour before continuing.)
- Sprinkle the top of the stew with the remaining cheese. Using your fingertips, wet the outside edge of the baking dish/pan with water. Then, place puff pastry on top, using wet edges to seal the pastry around the top of the stew. Cut a large slit or two in top to allow venting.
- Preheat oven to 425°. Bake for ten minutes, then reduce temperature to 375° and continue baking for an additional 20 minutes or until crust is evenly golden and stew is starting to bubble through the top slits.
Enjoy! Excellent served with Irish Soda bread. 😊