From The House of Edward & Ballymaloe House Recipe

Book "From the House of Edward, sits on top of handpainted chest by Josianne, "A Mother's Love Oil Painting Helen Tilston

Friends from Ireland are arriving any moment now.  Been 'n Guinness is in the oven, slowly simmering.  Darina Allen from Ballymaloe House created this version.

Ballymaloe Beef with Guinness

Beef with Guinness is ultra-easy to prepare, should be made several hours ahead (allowing you to spend time with your guests while you’re reheating the stew), and it makes the house smell wonderful while it is cooking. The Guinness stout beer not only helps tenderize the beef, it also gives a rich malty flavor to this chunky stew. It is fairly inexpensive, improves greatly overnight as stews are meant to.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 2 hours, 15 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours, 30 minutes
2 pounds lean stewing beef
3 Tablespoons oil
2 Tablespoons flour
Salt and freshly ground pepper and a pinch of cayenne
2 large onions, coarsely chopped
1 large clove garlic, crushed (optional)
2 Tablespoons tomato puree (paste), dissolved in 4 tablespoons water
1-1/4 cups Guinness stout beer
2 cups carrots, cut into chunks
Sprig of thyme
Trim the beef of any fat or gristle, cut into cubes of 2 inches (5cm) and toss them in a bowl with 1 tablespoon oil. Season the flour with salt, freshly ground pepper and a pinch or two of cayenne. Toss the meat in the mixture.
Heat the remaining oil in a wide frying pan over a high heat. Brown the meat on all sides. Add the onions, crushed garlic, and tomato puree to the pan, cover and cook gently for about 5 minutes.
Transfer the contents of the pan to a casserole, and pour some of the Guinness beer into the frying pan. Bring to a boil and stir to dissolve the caramelized meat juices on the pan.
Pour onto the meat with the remaining Guinness; add the carrots and the thyme. Stir, taste, and add a little more salt if necessary.
Cover with the lid of the casserole and simmer very gently until the meat is tender — 2 to 3 hours. The stew may be cooked on top of the stove or in a low oven at 300 degrees F. Taste and correct the seasoning. Scatter with lots of chopped parsley.
Yield: 6 to 8 servings

PS  I took artistic licence and used short ribs instread of cubed beef.  I have used sirloin and premium cuts of meat in the past, with success.

I baked an apple tart. When in America, "apple pie" is a must


The Salvador Dali Museum, Tarpon Springs and Ringling Museum are on the itinerary.

Ballymaloe House - where we visited this Fall

The house is primped and aired for them.   This week my autographed  copy of From The House of Edward" Essays by Pamela Terry arrived.  I have been savouring the essays and like a precious and rare wine I feel it must be rationed and savoured.   It is a treasure and I strongly recommend it.

I have been following Pamela's blog for a couple of years and, like all whom I follow, my heart delights with each new posting.

Pamela has no idea that I am mentioning her book here today.