Enjoy a Guinness-Braised Roast This St. Patrick’s Day

Fresh beef, simmered in Guinness to melty tenderness, warms our souls, and rekindles fond memories on St. Patrick’s Day.

Dark beer, such as the super-rich and creamy Guinness, forms the backbone of our braising liquid. JeanMarie Brownson/TCA

Corned and spiced beef brisket may be the most popular St. Patrick’s Day dinner choice in this country. We’ll get our fill of thin slices piled high on a sandwich, thank you. Fresh beef, simmered in Guinness to melty tenderness, warms our souls, and rekindles fond memories on St. Patrick’s Day.

The whole family enjoyed plenty of slow-cooked beef while vacationing in Ireland. Super tender, meaty stews and pot roasts packed with flavor and winter-friendly root vegetables. Thick slabs of hearty breads and Irish butter accompanied our meals; we happily mopped up every bit of the beefy sauces.

Dark beer, such as the super-rich and creamy Guinness, forms the backbone of our braising liquid, along with beef broth and a bit of tomato paste. Browning the roast, a most important step toward creating maximum flavor, will happen in bacon drippings for smoky notes; bay leaves and bits of fresh fennel imbue hints of licorice.

A slow cooker works here if that suits you. Don’t skip the browning of the meat, as this step proves a major contributor to flavor. When all the ingredients are in the slow-cooker, set it to low and cover. The meat will be tender in about 6 hours. Turn meat occasionally if possible. You’ll need to transfer the slow cooker pan juices to a saucepan if you wish to thicken them with the butter and flour mixture.

Serve the pot roast on deep plates accompanied by crispy, browned potatoes. Pass the brown bread and Irish butter, if you please. And don’t forget the Guinness. Slainte! To your health.

Beef Pot Roast With Beer and Bacon

Serves 4 to 6

Note: Guinness beer or other dark beer tastes great here; for a lighter beer flavor, substitute Harp or a pilsner. Red onion can replace the leeks, if desired. Tie beef if necessary so it’s easy to turn.

• 2 1/2- to 3-pound boneless beef chuck roast
• 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
• Salt, freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, such as expeller pressed canola
• 2 or 3 thin strips smoky bacon, about 2 ounces, diced
• 2 small leeks, white portion only, trimmed, halved, well rinsed, cut into ¼ inch thick slices
• 1 rib celery, chopped
• 1/2 cup diced fresh fennel bulb
• 3 skinny carrots, peeled, cut into 1/2-inch thick slices
• 1 parsnip, peeled, halved lengthwise, cut into 1/2-inch thick slices
• 1 turnip, peeled, halved, cut into large dice
• 2 large bay leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 cup each: dark beer, beef broth
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste or 1/4 cup ketchup
• 2 tablespoons flour blended into 2 tablespoons softened butter
• Crispy potatoes with fennel, see recipe, or mashed potatoes, for serving
• Fresh herb sprigs or chopped herbs, for garnish

1. Pat beef roast dry. Mix paprika, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper in a small bowl. Sprinkle mixture over all sides of beef roast. Let stand 20 minutes or refrigerate, loosely covered up to 2 days.

2. Heat oil in the bottom of 4- to 5-quart Dutch oven. Add bacon and cook until bacon starts to crisp, about 10 minutes.

3. Add beef roast to drippings in pan. Cook, turning once, until richly browned on all sides, about 15 minutes. Remove the roast to a plate.

4. Heat oven to 300 degrees. Add leeks, celery, and fennel to pan drippings. Cook, stirring often to scrape up all the browned bits from bottom of pan, until leek softens, about 10 minutes. Stir in carrots, parsnip, turnip, bay, 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper, basil, and thyme. Stir in beer, broth, and tomato paste; heat to a gentle simmer.

5. Nestle beef roast down into the pan so it is covered with vegetables and liquid. Cover the pan. Bake, turning roast over once, until meat is fork-tender when pierced, about 2 hours.

6. Use tongs to carefully remove roast to a serving platter. Tent with foil.

7. Set pan over medium heat. Stir in flour-butter mixture. Cook and stir over low heat until pan juices have thickened, about 10 minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings with salt and pepper.

8. Carefully remove string from roast if necessary. Cut roast into thick slices. Serve slices on deep plates covered with spoonsful of vegetables and pan juices. Arrange potatoes on side of plate. Garnish with herbs.

Crispy Potatoes With Fennel

Makes 4 servings

• 16 small golden potatoes
• Salt
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, such as expeller pressed canola oil or alternative
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 3 or 4 tablespoons chopped fresh fennel fronds or dill or parsley

1. Scrub potatoes clean and put into a small saucepan. Add water to cover potatoes by 2 inches. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt. Heat to boil over high heat, then reduce heat to a gentle simmer. Cook, stirring once or twice, until potatoes are tender when pierced with knife tip, about 20 minutes. Drain well.

2. Cut potatoes in half. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until hot but not smoking. Add potatoes, cut side down, in a single uncrowded layer. Cook, shaking pan occasionally, until potatoes are crisp and golden on their cut side, about 8 minutes. Stir potatoes to coat them with the oil in the pan and cook a few minutes to crisp the skin side.

3. Transfer to a serving bowl. Sprinkle with a little more salt and pepper. Scatter fennel fronds over potatoes and serve.

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