Beef and Guinness Stew

Cut the beef into cubes about 4 cm. In a bowl, mix flour, salt and black pepper, dredge the meat in the mixture and shake off the excess.

Heat olive oil in a heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Brown the beef in batches until golden on all sides, adding a little more oil as needed each time; transfer the meat to a plate.

Reduce the heat, add the butter, onion, garlic, carrots, parsnip and potatoes. Sauté for 10–12 minutes, until the onion is soft.

Pour in the Guinness, bring to a boil and use a wooden spoon to scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Boil until the beer has reduced by about half.

Pour in the beef stock, return the beef along with its juices to the pot, and add thyme, rosemary and bay leaf. Bring to a boil.

Cover the pot and simmer over the lowest heat for 2–2.5 hours, until the beef is tender. Stir occasionally so the gravy doesn't stick to the bottom.

Remove the lid for the last 20 minutes and simmer gently to thicken the gravy. Remove the thyme, rosemary and bay leaf, check the seasoning with salt and black pepper, and serve hot.