1-1/2 lb beef stew meat, cut up into 1 inch cubes

1 lb. brown mushrooms, cleaned and quartered

1 large onion chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped

12 oz. bottle Guinness stout

1 cup beef stock

2 Tbs. tomato paste

1 Tbs. flour

½ tsp. dried thyme

1 bay leaf

2 Tbs. Worcestershire Sauce

5 Tbs. olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Heat a large pot over medium-high heat. Add 2 Tbs. of olive oil and half the meat and brown it. Remove it to a bowl. Add the rest of the meat and brown it, adding another Tbs. of olive oil if needed. Remove the second batch of meat to the bowl. Add the mushrooms and onions to the pot, together with another TBS. or so of olive oil. Reduce the heat the medium and stir periodically. After the mushrooms and onions are about half cooked, add the garlic. When the vegetables are cooked and the mushrooms have given up their liquid, sprinkle on the flour, and continue to cook, adding another Tbs. of oil, if needed. After a couple of minutes, deglaze the pan with the beef stock, scrapping the bottom to release all the browned bits. Add the Guinness, tomato paste, thyme, bay leaf, and Worcestershire sauce and stir well, completing clearing the bottom of the pan. Cook covered on low until the meat is tender. If it seems too wet, remove the lid toward the end of the cooking.

Alternatively, put everything in a slow cooker, and cook on high for about 6 hours.