Supposedly, everyone’s Irish on St. Patrick’s Day, so we figured a
little Celtic comfort food would get the party going for the upcoming festivities. We turned to Anne Rowley, chef/owner of Patrick’s of Pratt Street (934 W. Pratt Street, 410-244-5000, patspubs.com)
for a recipe, in this case, her steak and Guinness stew. We figured she
would know a good one. Patrick’s, which dates to 1847, calls itself
“America’s oldest Irish pub.” Rowley and her husband, Patrick, have been
carrying on the family tradition since 1999. They plan to open another
location in Frederick this summer.

Steak and Guinness Stew

True
to stews, there are a lot of variations of this Irish staple. If you
like, substitute the same quantity of boned, trimmed leg of lamb in
place of the beef.

The recipe serves 4 to 6 and can be easily doubled.

• 2 pounds beef (chuck), trimmed
  2 plus tablespoons all-purpose flour
  4 plus tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  2 tablespoons butter
  1 medium onion, diced
  1 tablespoon minced garlic
  3 large (10 inch) carrots, peeled, halved, and sliced
  1 bag parsnips, peeled, halved, and sliced
  2 pints Guinness or other porter
  16 ounce can petite, diced tomatoes
  3 sprigs fresh rosemary
  3 pounds mashed potatoes, prepackaged or your own recipe

Cube the meat and coat with the flour.

Heat the oil and butter in a heavy 6 quart or larger soup pot. Brown the meat in small batches and remove from pot.

Sauté
the onion until golden and add meat and remaining ingredients except
for the mashed potatoes. Stir and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer for
two hours until tender.

Serve in soup bowls, and as the Irish do, add a generous portion of mashed potatoes on top.

Enjoy the stew and St. Patrick’s Day!