Sunday Soup #56: Guinness and Coffee Irish Beef Stew

Well, I got a little twitchy last weekend, and even more excited for St. Patrick's Day after the yummy Dublin Coddle (https://soupersleuth.blogspot.com/2018/03/sunday-soup-55-dublin-coddle-irish.html), so I decided to try another Irish stew recipe! How did this one measure up?

This recipe came from: https://www.thechunkychef.com/guinness-coffee-irish-beef-stew/

*Pic 1 - https://www.thechunkychef.com/guinness-coffee-irish-beef-stew/

Variations from Recipe as Written: I used 1/3 cup of espresso, instead of 1 tsp of Nielsen Massey coffee extract and 1/4 cup of water. The recipe provided instructions for cooking this dish on the stovetop, in a slow cooker, or in the oven; I chose to make the Crock-Pot (slow cooker) version.

General Thoughts: Despite the numerous ingredients (19!), I found this stew on the easier-to-prepare side. There was a fair bit of cutting/chopping involved (the chuck roast, carrots, celery, parsnips, etc.), but once that was done, it just kind of all went into the pot and cooked right along without much attention needing to be paid.

*Pic 2 - Picture from when I made it

The best part about this stew was the meat. Perhaps it was a product of cooking the stew in the slow cooker, but the meat came out tender, savory, and delicious. My chief complaint is that there wasn't enough of it! The potatoes and parsnips subbed-in by providing some much needed starchy bulk (which was key in making this stew nice and hearty), but more meat would have increased my enjoyment of this dish.

The coffee and Guinness flavors were definitely present, but neither was overpowering. They served their purpose well, in my opinion; to provide an overarching flavor profile that was characteristic of a rich Irish stew. That is not to say the flavor was perfect, as I think it needed some additional salt and pepper to really pop, but it was almost there. 

Potential Improvements? If I made this again, I would definitely increase the meat portion by at least another pound. I would also add a bit more pepper and salt, and maybe even a dash or two of oregano (yes, I know, decidedly un-Irish, but I calls 'em likes I sees 'em!).

Polling the Fam: I thought it was pretty good, and I'd make it again for a theme meal or a St. Patrick's Day feast! Becky thought it was "good and hearty" and said she'd eat it again. Jayson liked it and said he'd eat it again but, like me, thought it needed more meat. Hunter characterized it as "good" and said he'd eat it again, even though he thought it was somewhat "unremarkable." And Fox, our young man of few words, just said it was "good."

Verdict: Liked it. (4 stars)