Instructions

1. Gather all ingredients: 4 slices of bacon, 2 ½ pounds of boneless beef chuck (cut into 2-inch pieces), 1 ½ teaspoons of salt (divided), freshly ground black pepper to taste, 2 onions (coarsely chopped), 4 cloves of garlic (minced), 1 (14.9 ounce) can of dark beer (like Guinness), ¼ cup of tomato paste, 3 carrots (cut into 1-inch pieces), 2 ribs of celery (cut into 1-inch pieces), 4 sprigs of fresh thyme, 1 teaspoon of white sugar, ½ teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper, and 2 ½ cups of chicken stock (as needed to cover). Optionally, prepare 4 cups of mashed potatoes for serving.
2. In a heavy skillet, cook and stir the bacon over medium-high heat until it is browned and crisp, which should take about 3 to 4 minutes. Turn off the heat and transfer the cooked bacon to a large stew pot, reserving the bacon fat in the skillet.
3. Season the beef chuck cubes generously with 1 teaspoon of salt and black pepper to taste. Turn the heat to high under the skillet and sear the beef pieces in the hot bacon fat. Brown the beef on all sides for about 5 minutes. Once browned, transfer the beef into the stew pot with the bacon, leaving the fat in the skillet.
4. Reduce the heat to medium and add the chopped onions to the retained fat in the skillet. Cook and stir the onions until they are lightly browned, which should take about 5 to 8 minutes. Season the onions with a large pinch of salt.
5. Add the minced garlic to the skillet with the onions and cook until the garlic is soft, about 1 minute.
6. Pour the can of dark beer into the skillet. Stir with a wooden spoon, scraping up and dissolving any browned bits from the bottom of the skillet into the liquid.
7. Transfer the cooking liquid from the skillet into the stew pot containing the bacon and beef. Stir in the tomato paste, cut carrots, celery, thyme sprigs, sugar, ½ teaspoon of black pepper, and enough chicken stock to cover all the ingredients.
8. Bring the stew to a gentle simmer while stirring to combine all the ingredients. Once simmering, reduce the heat to low and cover the pot.
9. Allow the stew to simmer for about 2 hours, or until the beef is fork-tender. Stir the stew occasionally and skim off any fat or foam that rises to the surface if desired.
10. After 2 hours, remove the cover and raise the heat to medium-high. Bring the stew to a low boil and continue cooking for an additional 15 to 20 minutes until the stew has slightly thickened. Taste and adjust the salt and pepper as needed, removing and discarding the thyme sprigs.
11. To serve, arrange the mashed potatoes in a ring in a large serving bowl and ladle the beef stew into the center of the potatoes.