Damn, I'm good.

At the first hint of autumnal weather, the call goes up in the Kenny household for beef and Guinness stew, a concoction of slow-cooked goodness that, along with lasagna, is one of my specialties. So, today I took some "me" time...or I should say "us" time, as the concoction is most avidly enjoyed by My Lovely Wife (who is indeed the person who puts up the call as the weather goes autumnal), and whipped up a batch. 

It's such a simple thing to make that I'm almost embarrassed to boast about it. You chop up a buncha veggies—I'm big on carrots and potatoes, obviously, have grown to enjoy onions in a stew more and thus slice a fairly big one into eighths, and for some extra texture and nutritional value throw in parsnip slices—brown two-and-a-half pounds of meat, throw it all in a crock pot, and pour two cans of Guinness stout over it. Season a bit, throw a buncha thyme sprigs on top, put a lid on the pot, set on low, and forget it for eight hours. Go to the gym, read some Bleak House, listen to some Art Tatum, Cecil Taylor, Lee Konitz and Warne Marsh, or do all of the above. People who've given up drinking sometimes fret about cooking with alcohol, as the booze-burnoff isn't always 100% assured. This is one of those recipes where it's guaranteed; the resultant stew is entirely suitable for children and the alcohol-allergic. And is kind of unbelievably delicious and tender. This was a particularly hearty and satisfying batch.

Sometimes people say to me, "Glenn, you're such a dick; but your wife seems, indeed, really lovely. How the hell does she live with you?" The above would seem to be a portion of the answer.

Comments

[Castle Bravo]

I'm sure it's fine for ex-drinkers. But how is it for vegetarians?

[Glenn Kenny]

Yeah, for vegetarians it's a pretty "not so much" proposition. I should try some sort of vegetarian stew some time, mix up the skill set. The Guinness recipe, I'd guess, wouldn't adapt, since I suspect part of the magic here is how the bread-like beer interacts with the meat more than anything else. I'm thinking some kind of curry thing, maybe.

On those occasions when we entertain non-meat-eaters, I do a pretty nifty eggplant parm.

[MSK]

You may well be a 'dick' but you're our dick and we love you!!! I spent some time today looking through my crockpot cookbook picking out something to make tomorow. Going with boneless pork ribs as they were on sale at the local market. Love the fall weather! And having made your stew I can attest to its scrumptiousness!

[Nick]

The Guinness isn't vegetarian either. Has some weird collagen type thing that comes from fish. Gross.

I believe the Art Tatum is safe though.

[bill]

"You may well be a 'dick' but you're our dick..."

What an odd phrase.

Anyway, the stew looks delicious, but I'd just like to put a word in for BLEAK HOUSE. I love that book quite a lot, for all sorts of reasons, but one thing I always have to mention, any time it comes up, is that BLEAK HOUSE has the single saddest passage I've ever encountered in all my years as a voracious reader. And that's saying something.

[n]

Really... when it cames to food... you americans...
Looks like a poor man's version of portuguese "jardineira".
Come visit us, and we will show you one of the most cinematheques of the world and proper food! ;)

[Kent Jones]

What a wonderfully warm-hearted and collegial comment from n. Thanks for the generous invitation, but we Americans like our Hamburger Helper and Velveeta-drenched corn dogs just fine, thank you. :(

GK, do you have a crock pot or a slow cooker? I have the latter, and I love it.

[Gareth]

Re Nick's comment: the addition he's talking about is isinglass. Plenty of wine isn't vegetarian either, since winemakers often use isinglass, or sometimes egg whites, to clarify the beverages. Sometimes they just dump an egg white into a barrel! In some countries - e.g. New Zealand - they have to label the wine to take account of this, but I think most NZ exporters remove that information from exports to the US, on the logic, "why tell them there's fish in the wine if we're not obligated to?"

And being Irish rather than Portuguese, my hat is off to you Mr. Kenny; this is one of my specialties too and I am loath to reveal how easy it is to create such a delicious feast. I do use a bit more onion, though. And of course I serve it with some homebrewed stout (isinglass included).

[Frankie T-shirts]

Guinness comes in 4-packs...what do you do with the other two??

[ATK]

Looks wonderful, Mikey likes it too!!

[John M]

I do love any comment that includes the phrase "you Americans..."

[hamletta]

"GK, do you have a crock pot or a slow cooker? I have the latter, and I love it."

Dude, there's no difference. Crock Pot is a registered trademark of some company or another. Rival, I think.

"I do love any comment that includes the phrase 'you Americans...'"

Almost as good as "you people...."

[hamletta]

Also, too: Mr. Kenny, you'll never win any awards as a food stylist, but that stew sounds scrumptious.

[Glenn Kenny]

Good of you to clear up the crock pot/slow cooker non-controversy; for the record, my equipment is a trademarked Rival Crock-Pot. Which has also come in handy while making tomato sauce, and pulled pork. As for food styling, or lack thereof, you could say I follow the neo-realist school....

[Claire K.]

I too am going to have to take issue with n's comment--this is some of the most proper food I know.

[The Siren]

I love it when Claire drops by comments. All that is needed is a nice long shot of a title: 'SPECIAL GUEST STAR CLAIRE KENNY, as Glenn's Lovely Wife."

I have no crockpot. I had several friends who had the dadgum things explode on them. Maybe they're improved now? Or my friends are as lousy at machinery as I am? In any event, I am looking at this and thinking of getting one.

[Claire K.]

aw, thank you, Siren! Crockpots are great, but truly the sole reason for getting them is so that you can cook while you're out out of the house. Otherwise, you can do the same thing on a low oven for 8 hours.