Guinness Beef Gravy Poutine

Crispy, homemade fries, top with squeaky cheese curds, and smothered in a delicious beef gravy made with guinness beer, this Irish-inspired poutine adds a St. Patrick’s Day twist to a popular Canadian dish that everyone loves to dig into!

Have you ever had poutine?  It’s this mouth-watering mound of French fries topped with cheese curds and smothered in a hot gravy-like sauce – so hot, in fact, that it melts the curds! Well, I’m kicking it up a notch with this Guinness Beef Gravy Poutine! For those of you not in the know, poutine is a Canadian dish originating from Quebec in the 1950s.  I did a little research and couldn’t find the exact origin, because several towns in Quebec claim to be the inventors of the dish, but I did find this interesting tale. 

A 1950s restaurant owner named Fernand Lachance, was asked to put a handful of cheese curds on a plate of French fries by one of his regular customers.  Lachance is said to have exclaimed, “ça va faire une maudite poutine” (it will make a damn mess).  Hence, the name for the dish came to be.  The sauce was added to the dish later with the purpose of keeping the French fries warm for a longer period of time. You see, Dear Reader!? Blogging is educational!

Truth be told (and I might be shunned for this!), I’m not a fan of the sauce used in authentic poutine recipes.  I prefer brown gravy because poutine sauce tastes a little sour to me.  In my version of the diner classic, I like to use a thicker gravy so I can get more of it on the fries before stuffing them into my mouth.  The gravy that I’m using does take some time to make and uses lots of beef, but it’s worth it! Besides, it’s not like one would eat this every day; consider it a treat!

I should also point out that if you can’t find cheese curds, I have, in a pinch, used regular cheddar cheese.  If you decide to use cheddar cheese, use white cheddar – not that orange stuff! And, instead of grating it, cut it into about half-inch cubes. But, nowadays, most cheese shops and grocery stores carry curds.

Please use real potatoes – none of those store-bought, prepackaged, frozen fries!  Don’t get me wrong, they’re fine, but if you’re going to put in the effort to make such a tremendously delicious Guinness Beef Gravy, then make your own fries too.  One large potato per person will suffice.  Wash them well and leave the skin on.  Cut away any areas of the potato you prefer not to eat.  Next, cut the potato to resemble thick-cut fries and rinse them in cold water.  Drain them well and pat them dry before baking.

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.

For the Poutine:

• Potatoes – Russet potatoes are great for making fries!
• Salt and Ground Black Pepper
• Olive Oil
• Cheese Curds
• Parsley – For garnish.

HOW TO MAKE GUINNESS BEEF GRAVY POUTINE

To Prepare the Beef and 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 and set aside with the lid on.

To Prepare the Poutine:

Increase the temperature of your oven to 400 degrees F. While the beef and gravy rests, toss the cut potatoes with the salt, ground black pepper, and olive oil. Spread the fries out onto two baking sheets, being careful not to overlap them too much.

Bake the fries for 30 minutes, tossing at the 20-minute mark. (You can bake the fries longer for crispier fries or for a lesser time depending on how you like them.) Once the fries are done, set the pot with the beef and gravy on a burner over medium heat. Stirring often to prevent the gravy from burning.

While the gravy is reheating, pile the fries into oven-proof bowls, plates, or in a serving-sized skillet. Top the fries with some of the cheese curds. Next, ladle over the piping hot beef and gravy mixture and top with chopped parsley. Serve immediately and enjoy!

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!