Beef and Guinness Casserole

Instructions

Trim the excess fat from the beef and cut it into 1-inch pieces. Cut the onions, celery and carrots into small, even pieces, keeping the carrots about ½-inch thick so they stay noticeable in the finished dish.

Grind the peppercorns to a fine powder in a pestle and mortar, taking your time. Stir in the teaspoon of salt and set half of this seasoning aside for the potatoes. Mix the other half with the flour, then toss the beef in it until coated.

Heat a frying pan over medium-high heat with a good lug of olive oil. Shake off excess coating and brown the beef, keeping it moving so it does not burn, in batches if the pan is small. Use enough oil that the coating is not dry, and set the browned beef aside.

Add a little more oil to the pan, then the onion, and lower the heat to medium-low. After a few minutes add the celery and garlic and cook until everything is soft and the onion is turning golden. Stir in the carrot and cook a few minutes more.

In a large oven-proof casserole dish combine the stock, cooked vegetables, beef, Guinness, tomato sauce, bay leaves and thyme. Bring to a boil on the hob, cover, and cook in a preheated 150°C (300°F) convection oven for about 3 hours, stirring every 40 minutes to an hour. The beef is ready when it is tender and juicy and the sauce has thickened.

About 40 minutes before the casserole is done, boil the potatoes until soft. Drain them and let them steam dry, then mash thoroughly with the reserved pepper and salt, butter, and a small amount of milk, since too much turns the mash to sludge. Stir in the chopped spring onion.

Serve in deep bowls with a layer of the potato at the bottom and the beef and Guinness ladled over the top.