Beef Stew With Guinness

Ingredients : 

 2 1/2 – 3 lbs stew meat
1/4 cup flour
salt and pepper to season meat
vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup red wine
14 oz beef broth
20 oz Guinness
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp garlic powder
1 bay leaf
5 carrots, peeled and sliced
2 potatoes, peeled and cubed
3 ribs celery, chopped
2 tbsp cornstarch

Directions :

• Season meat with salt and pepper.  Place flour in a large zip-lock bag.  Add a portion of the meat and shake to coat with flour.  Repeat until all the meat is coated.  Heat oil in a large pot.  Brown meat in batches, careful not to crowd the pot.
• Remove all meat from pot.  Add onion and garlic and cook for one minute.  Add red wine and cook for another minute.  Add the beef broth, Guinness, salt, sugar, pepper, paprika, garlic powder, and bay leaf to the pot.  Heat to a boil.  Reduce heat to low/medium-low and COVER.  Simmer for 1 1/2 hours.
• Remove bay leaf and add the carrots, celery, and potatoes to pot.  Cover and cook for another 30 to 40 minutes, or until vegetables are tender.
• Mix corn starch with 2 cups of the liquid, then add back to pot to thicken.  Stir until thick and bubbling.