Blot meat dry with paper towels, and season with salt and pepper
In a bowl or resealable bag, dredge the beef pieces in flour to coat.
Over medium-high heat one tablespoon of the oil in a large pot or Dutch oven with a lid
Brown the meat on all sides in the heated oil, a few pieces at a time, removing the browned pieces to a plate. Add more oil if required.
Continue to brown the meat in batches.
When the last batch is browned, remove it to a plate and add the garlic, onion, celery & carrots to the pot.
Cook, stirring for about 5 minutes.
Return all of the meat to the pan. Add the stout, beef broth, Worcestershire sauce and bay leaf, scraping the pot with a spoon to deglaze. Bring to a boil.
Reduce heat to low, cover and allow to simmer 2 hours.
Add potatoes and thyme to the pot, and return to a boil
Reduce heat to low, and simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes until potatoes are tender.
Taste and season with salt and pepper as required
Garnish with parsley and serve hot.
Notes
Make this recipe gluten-free by substituting any gluten-free dark beer for the Guinness, and using either a gluten-free flour blend or cornstarch in place of the dredging flour. Use gluten-free Worcestershire sauce, or omit the Worcestershire sauce.If you prefer, you can cook the potatoes separately, mash them and serve the potatoes alongside your stew.This recipe freezes well, however, do leave out the potatoes if you plan to freeze some or all of the stew. Slow cooker/ crockpot method: After browning the meat, put all ingredients in the pot and cook on low for 8 hours.