Beef Guinness Gravy

Loaded with chuck beef roast and slow-cooked with carrots, onion, and celery, this Beef Guinness Gravy is almost a complete meal on its own! Looking for a delicious, hearty meal that’s easy to prepare? Serve this savoury, beer-infused gravy with your favourite mashed buttery potatoes!

Beef Guinness Gravy is great anytime, but for me, it’s something that is so deliciously perfect for a St. Patrick’s Day dinner! Even though it’s a very simple recipe to follow and recreate in your kitchen, it has a deep, complex, rich flavour. The malty sweetness and bitter hoppiness of a dark beer like Guinness is put to good use in this gravy. And, if you happen to have any leftover, it freezes very well also!

Because the flavour of the gravy is so good, I did not want to overshadow it by pairing it with other strong flavours. Even though my mashed potatoes are the best I’ve ever eaten and are tasty and flavourful in their own right, the creamy, saltiness of them are a great vessel to accompany the savoury, aromatic flavour of the beefy gravy. By the way, Dear Reader, I have several mashed potato recipes that you can choose from, but for this particular recipe, I’m using my Herb Butter Mashed Potatoes. When I made this batch, I left the skin on the potatoes – very well washed, of course! – because we love the texture.

The ultimate comfort food is mashed potatoes and gravy. Serving the two is a no-brainer! This hearty, family-friendly meal is easy to prepare and quite delicious. Beef Guinness Gravy with mashed potatoes may be considered peasant food, but I’d serve this to the fanciest of folks without any hesitation!

ST. PATRICK’S DAY

St. Patrick’s Day is coming up and I’m starting to think about recipes that are traditionally served this time of year. That is why, Dear Reader, today’s recipe is all about the most delicious gravy you’ve ever tasted! I don’t necessarily associate gravy with Ireland, but when that gravy is prepared with Guinness, I certainly do! I’m sure you will find versions of this dish in most local Irish pubs – especially on St. Patrick’s Day!

Last year, I made Bangers and Mash, which is such an odd name for a recipe! Many recipes with English, Irish, or Scottish roots are like that. There’s Toad in the Hole, which is sausages baked into Yorkshire pudding. And, there’s Bubble and Squeak, which is basically leftover vegetables that are pan-fried in butter. Growing up in Newfoundland, we often had a meal called jiggs dinner. The leftovers were always fried up in butter the next day. The heat from the cast iron skillet and the low burning point of the butter browned the mash which is how the name of the dish came to be.

Who can forget about Rarebit? No, it is not misspelled roasted rabbit. It’s just a fancier version of cheese on toast. The name is said to be something of an English joke, coined in the 18th century when many were so poor they could not even afford cheap meat like rabbits. And, finally, who could forget Spotted Dick!? It sounds crass, but it’s just old-fashioned steamed pudding spotted with dried fruit. The dish made national news in 2009 when someone decided to change the name to something more polite like Spotted Richard.

INGREDIENTS NEEDED TO MAKE THIS RECIPE:

The following is a list of the ingredients needed to prepare this recipe. For exact amounts and measurements, refer to the printable recipe card located near the bottom of this post. 

For the Beef:

• Beef – Use cheaper cuts that are best when cooked slowly – much like brisket, chuck roast, flank steak or packaged stewing beef. In this case, I’m using chuck beef roast.
• Salt and Ground Black Pepper
• All-Purpose Flour
• Olive Oil

For the Gravy:

• Onion – I use yellow, white, and sweet onions interchangeably.  Either of them will do just fine.
• Celery – This might seem odd in a gravy recipe, but it works! Chop finely so that you are not left with large chunks of celery in the end.
• Carrots
• Garlic – Use fresh garlic whenever possible. Even the pre-minced stuff in the jars is better than garlic powder or granulated garlic in this recipe.
• Bay Leaves
• Thyme – Fresh thyme leaves are best. They’re easy to find in almost any grocery store, are inexpensive, and are available all year round.
• Tomato Paste – This will add both colour and flavour.
• All-Purpose Flour
• Beef Stock – I like to use low-sodium stock otherwise the gravy can taste too salty.
• Worcestershire Sauce
• Guinness Stout Beer
• Brown Sugar – This balances out the acidity.
• Parsley – For colour, freshness, and garnish.

HOW TO MAKE BEEF GUINNESS GRAVY

Preheat your oven to 325 degrees F. Transfer the beef to a mixing bowl. Sprinkle over the salt and ground black pepper. Toss the beef well to evenly distribute the seasonings. Next, sprinkle the flour over the beef and toss once again to coat. Set aside.

Add the oil to a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Fry the beef in batches for 2 minutes per side until just lightly browned and seared. Transfer the browned beef to a plate and set aside.

Immediately add the onion, celery, and carrots to the pot. Stir to combine and cook the vegetables for 5 minutes. Add the garlic, bay leaves, thyme leaves, and tomato paste. Stir to incorporate. Sprinkle in the flour. Stir well into the vegetables and cook, continuously stirring, for 3 minutes. Add the beef stock, Worcestershire sauce, beer, and brown sugar. Stir well.

Add the beef back to the pot and place the lid on. Transfer the pot to your preheated oven for 2.5 hours, stirring every 30 minutes. (If the gravy becomes too thick, stir in 1/4 cup more of the beef stock or water.) Once the beef is cooked and tender, remove it from the oven. Stir in the chopped parsley and serve the beef and gravy over mashed potatoes.

MASHED POTATOES

The recipe card below focuses solely on preparing the Beef Guinness Gravy. I’m going to assume that most of us have a mashed potato recipe at home already. In the instance that you do not have a mashed potato recipe, I have several that you can choose from. One mashed potato recipe that I would recommend is my Irish Colconnan. It’s a mashed potato that is prepared with leeks, onions, and cabbage. It’s super flavourful and would be perfect if you’re preparing this gravy recipe on St. Patrick’s Day!

Next, I have this Herb Butter Mashed Potato recipe. It’s loaded with fresh herbs like thyme and summer savoury. It’s fresh and buttery and delicious!! I also have what I consider to be a healthier alternative to mashed potatoes. My Cheesy Mashed Cauliflower is made with low-fat cream cheese and it’s super delicious and creamy.

FREEZING AND RE-HEATING

Gravy is one food item that can stand up well to being frozen. In fact, I will often freeze leftover gravy for up to three months. When freezing Beef Guinness Gravy, I like to make sure it’s completely cooled. The best way to do this is to just turn off the heat, remove the lid, and let the gravy sit at room temperature for at least ninety minutes. Then, stir well to ensure none of the ingredients have settled at the bottom.

Portion as you wish. I like to portion about three-quarters of a cup per person. We love a lot of gravy, so portion what works best for you. Use a freezer-friendly container with a very tight-fitting lid. Also, be sure to label the gravy so you know what it is! And, whenever freezing food, it’s always a good idea to write the date on the item too.

To reheat, allow the gravy to sit at room temperature for at least two hours. Then, slowly simmer in a covered saucepan. In some cases, the gravy might not be as thick as it was when it was first made. You can bring the gravy up to a boil, whisking well to bring it back to life – which in our home is super smooth! If you’re not worried about it being a little thinner, add a tablespoon or two of water. It will certainly help to revive the gravy and make it silky smooth once again.

QUESTIONS?

If I have not answered all of your questions in the text above, don’t hesitate to reach out to me! You can contact me by sending me a message in the comments section further down the page. I will try my best to answer as soon as possible! You might reach me even faster by following me on Facebook and sending me a private message. Scroll down below the recipe card to find my Follow Me on Social Media box and never miss another recipe!