Irish Stout Beef Stew

Sometimes it’s the small, stupid things in life which can make a typical boring day more exciting. For me this day usually falls on Wednesdays when I eagerly grab the mail from our mailbox just to read the 4 or 5 grocery ad inserts.

I study those ads like a stock broker reads the Wall Street so he can buy and sell before the markets close. Although grocery shopping is just a necessity to most, it is a ‘take-no-prisoners’ type of sport to me. Yes, I am aware that this may sound strange, slightly pathetic, or a combination of both.

When you grow up so poor with nothing, learning to be frugal becomes a survival skill that never quite leaves you. Finding deals and steals is the name of the game and I love the challenge of getting the most out of every dollar I spend. This type of illness (yes, it is an illness), has many drawbacks. It can alter a person’s perception about life in a way that can limit them from enjoying an occasional splurge. And the euphoria of a deal can cause me to buy things despite the reality that I didn’t really need the items to begin with.

But I’m a recovering ‘frugal-aholic.’ Gone are the days I would come home with “just in case we need them in the future’ items. These days I limit my frugal ways to only food our family eats regularly, which brings me to today’s post.

Generally speaking, I only buy meat when it is on sale. I especially like clearance perishables. When I glance over ads, I am generally looking for deals on meat, vegetables, fruit, and coffee. On most days I don’t know what I’m going to cook for dinner. I’ll let a sale item determine what our meal will be.

With St. Patrick’s Day quickly approaching this Sunday this week is a great time to find deals on beef, potatoes, carrots, and Irish beer. All of these ingredients I just mentioned are perfect for making one of my favorite comfort foods: beef stew. But not just any stew, Irish Beef Stew made with Guinness Stout beer.

With bone-in Chuck roast on sale for $2.69/lb, I picked up a package knowing beef stew would be in my immediate future. I prefer the bone-in meat when making stew because after I cut the bone and fat away I throw the bone in the pot so that while it is cooking it will draw out the flavor a bone can add. For the same reason people like to use bones to make stock I like to cook soups and stews with the bones too. And it doesn’t hurt that bone-in meat is always significantly cheaper than the boneless.

Because beef stew takes a very long time to simmer on the stove-top, I usually use a pressure cooker. The moment I seal the lid, I set the kitchen timer to 20 minutes after the safety hatch pops up. When the timer goes off, I turn off the stove and start calling everyone down for dinner.

I know some people are ‘weirded’ out by pressure cookers but it is one of my most used cookware. Being able to save hours of “cook time” is such a life necessity for me. And the flavor and texture of the meat and vegetables are far superior to a slow-cooker. No mushy anything. Tender vibrant vegetables are firm enough to hold their shape and the meat is the perfect texture.
This stew is hearty. It has a nice rich broth with the subtle flavor of stout. Served with a slice of crusty rustic bread and a light salad this stew would be perfect to serve this Sunday for St. Patrick’s Day. Like I mentioned before, everything you need to make it is pretty much on sale, too. I love it when frugality, practicality, and deliciousness collide.

Have a great weekend!

PS: Because some people have emailed me about my pressure cooker, I just used this cheapo one  Presto 6-Quart Aluminum Pressure Cooker that worked beautifully before I broke the handle when I accidentally dropped the lid.  At the under $30 price point, I would highly recommend it.  The one I have now is exactly the same as the one above except mine is a no-name one my sister bought at a garage sale.

Although the one I had was aluminum, Presto does offer a stainless-steel version which some of my food loving friends love. Presto 01362 6-Quart Stainless Steel Pressure Cooker at a slightly higher price point.
Lastly, I do have friends who swear by the Cuisinart CPC-600 1000-Watt 6-Quart Electric Pressure Cooker, Brushed Stainless and Matte Black at just under $100.