2 pounds boneless beef, preferably shin or topside
Flour
2 carrots, halved lengthwise and cut into 2-inch pieces
2 good sized rooster potatoes, peeled and cut in one-inch pieces
1 parsnip, peeled cut in half and then into 2 inch piieces
1 small turnip, peeled and cut into 1 inch chunks
1 large white onion, chopped roughly into 1-2 inch chunks
1 stalk celery, cut into two inch pieces
2 cloves garlic, chopped finely
2 bay leaves
2 sprigs thyme
3 T tomato paste
2 T olive or vegetable oil
2 pints Irish stout, i.e., Guinness, Beamish, Murphy's
Salt and fresh ground pepper
Parsley for garnish.

Cut the beef into 2-inch chunks and roll them through the flour. Add 2 tbls of the oil to the bottom of a suitable, lidded casserole, and bring it to a high heat. Place the meat chunks into the pan and brown them on all sides.

Remove from heat and add the bay leaves, garlic, thyme, onion, tomato paste, stout and salt and pepper to the pan with the meat. Cover the casserole with tin foil and then seal it with the lid for the pan. Place in the oven at 180c for one hour. At that point remove casserole from oven and check to see if the meat is nearing tenderness and that there is still plenty of stout. If the stout has substantially diminished, add water to mostly cover the meat. Then sweat the remaining vegetables in a separate fry pan until slightly tender. Add them to the meat and cover again, using the foil to increase the seal.

Place the casserole back into the oven for 50 minutes or until meat is tender enough to eat. Remove the casserole from the oven.

When the casserole has been in the oven for 40 minutes place the potatoes with water in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Boil potatoes until tender. Add salt, butter and milk and mash.

Place servings of mashed potatoes on plates. Arrange meat and vegetables around and atop the potatoes and spoon sauce from the casserole over the meat, vegetables and potatoes. Garnish with sprigs of parsley.

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