Irish Beef Stew

1/4 cup olive oil
1 1/4 pounds stew beef, cut into 1-inch pieces
6 large garlic cloves, minced
6 cups beef stock or canned beef broth
I cup of Guinness beer
1 cup of fine red wine
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon dried thyme
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 bay leaves
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter
3 pounds russet potatoes, peeled, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (about 7
cups)
1 large onion, chopped
2 cups 1/2-inch pieces peeled carrots
Salt and Pepper
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

1 Heat olive oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add beef
and sauté until brown on all sides, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and
sauté 1 minute. Add beef stock, Guinness, red wine, tomato paste,
sugar, thyme, Worcestershire sauce and bay leaves. Stir to combine.
Bring mixture to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, then cover and
simmer 1 hour, stirring occasionally.

2 While the meet and stock is simmering, melt butter in another
large pot over medium heat. Add potatoes, onion and carrots. Sauté
vegetables until golden, about 20 minutes.

3 Add vegetables to beef stew. Simmer uncovered until vegetables and
beef are very tender, about 40 minutes. Discard bay leaves. Tilt pan
and spoon off fat. Transfer stew to serving bowl. Sprinkle with
parsley and serve. (Can be prepared up to 2 days ahead. Salt and
pepper to taste. Cool slightly. Refrigerate uncovered until cold,
then cover and refrigerate. Bring to simmer before serving.)

Irish Oatmeal Soda Bread

2 1/2 cups oatmeal
2 cups buttermilk
2 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
Flour for dusting
1/2 teaspoon butter

In a mini-food processor, fitted with a metal blade, pulse the oatmeal until the meal is very fine. Remove from the processor and turn into a mixing bowl. Stir the buttermilk into the oats and cover with plastic wrap. Let the oatmeal steep in the buttermilk for 12 hours.

In a mixing bowl, sift the other ingredients together. Stir in the steeped oatmeal and mix well. If the mixture is too wet add a little More flour.

Preheat the oven to 350º. Grease a 9-inch round cake pan with the butter.

Lightly dust the work surface with some flour. Turn the dough out onto the surface and knead the dough a couple of times to form a soft ball like shape. Press the dough into a round about 2 inches thick. Using a sharp knife, make a criss-cross cut into the bread. Place the bread in the prepared pan.

Bake until golden brown, about 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack.

Serve the bread warm with butter.
Yield: 6 to 8 servings