Preheat your oven to 300 degrees. Be sure the oven rack will fit the dutch oven or whatever pan you are using with lid, if not, lower to fit.

Over medium-high heat, heat the 1 tablespoon oil in a large dutch and brown half of the beef (season with salt and pepper), remove to a plate (or lid of the dutch oven, save some clean-up) and repeat with remaining beef, don’t overcrowd the pan, or your meat will steam, not brown. Don’t touch it once it’s in the pan If it’s sticking to the pan, leave it, it’s not ready to turn. Brown equals flavor, patience grasshopper.

Season as you cook.

Add the bacon to the pan and sauté for about 3 minutes, get some nice brown edges on that bacon, remove to plate/lid with beef. To the hot pan, remaining 1 tablespoon oil, add the onion, carrots and celery and saute (season with a few pinches of salt) for about 3 minutes. Add the tomato paste and stir around and cook for about 2 minutes. Return the beef and bacon to the pan along with the garlic.

Season as you cook.

Add the herbs, pour in the stock and Guinness, pop in a bay leaf and season to taste. Cover and put it in the oven for 1-1/2 hours until meat is tender and the liquid has reduced. If the sauce isn’t thick enough for your tastes, remove the lid and simmer uncovered for about 10-15 minutes. If it’s still not thick enough, mix a little of the sauce with the 2 teaspoons of flour whisk into the pan. Serve with mashed, boiled potatoes, champ (another Irish potato dish) or Irish Soda Bread.

Note: cooking the tomato paste on the direct heat helps to develop depth of flavor, and rich color to the stew.

Season as you go.

If you are worried about to much salt, measure out the amount called for in a recipe. Put it in a small container, use pinches of it as you add ingredients to the pot. I find, I don’t even use as much as the recipe calls for by doing it this way. When you season as you cook, every component gets seasoned, if you wait until the end, it just tastes like salt.