This is a perfect beef stew to throw together on a rainy, gray Sunday. There are not too many ingredients, but the result is incredibly flavorful. Tastea-monials: “It was stew-pendous.” -Ryan
Source: Chef John of foodwishes.com

Ingredients

• 4 strips of bacon, diced
• 2 1/2 lbs beef chuck, cut into 2-inch pieces
• 2 onions, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
• 1 bottle of Guinness or other stout (I used Left Hand Brewing Milk Stout Nitro)
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 4 sprigs or fresh thyme
• 3 large carrots, cut into 1 inch pieces
• 2 large stalks of celery, cut into 1 inch pieces
• 2-3 cups of beef stock
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Instructions

1. In a large frying pan over medium heat, render the fat from the bacon. Remove the bacon to a dutch oven once it begins to crisp. Season each piece of meat with salt and pepper, then brown the pieces in the bacon fat in batches, and remove them to the dutch oven. Add the onions to the frying pan and sauté until translucent, deglazing the pan with the moisture from the onions. Add the garlic and sauté for one minute. Add the onions and garlic to the dutch oven.
2. Turn the dutch oven to medium heat. Add the Guinness, tomato paste, thyme, carrots and celery. Add enough broth to come up to the top of the beef and vegetables, then bring to a summer.
3. Reduce the heat to low and cook until the meat is fork tender, about 2 hours.
4. Once the beef is tender, raise the heat to medium high and boil until the liquid begins to thicken slightly. Pick out the thyme stem and taste for final seasoning, then serve.