IRISH BEEF STEW

• 2 pounds lean beef stew meat
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 1 pinch cayenne pepper
• 2 large onions, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 beef bullion cube
  
• 1 1/2 cups Irish stout beer (e.g., Guinness)
• 2 cups chopped carrot
• 1 16oz bag of frozen peas
  
• 1 sprig fresh thyme
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley for garnish

Directions

1. Toss the beef cubes with 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil. In a separate bowl, stir together the flour, salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper. Dredge the beef in this to coat.
2. Heat the remaining oil in a deep skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the beef, and brown on all sides. Add the onions, and garlic. Stir the tomato paste into a small amount of water to dilute; pour into the pan and stir to blend. Reduce the heat to medium, cover, and cook for 5 minutes.
3. Pour 1/2 cup of the beer into the pan, and as it begins to boil, scrape any bits of food from the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. This adds a lot of flavor to the broth. Pour in the rest of the beer, and add the bullion, carrots and thyme. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 2 to 3 hours, stirring occasionally. Taste and adjust seasoning, and add the peas just before serving before. Garnish with chopped parsley, and serve with mashed potatoes.