my guinness stew is way too bitter. what have i done wrong?

Question

its been cooking for an hour so far and accordning to the recipe it has another 1-2 hours to go but its not tasting too good. the recipe listed the main liquid as guiness which i used but also added beef stock and have even added a bit of water. what a disappointment! help! the first taste is nice but as you swallow its like guiness :)

Answer 1

Guiness is stout so it's not making it bitter. Try adding a little sugar and mustard.

Answer 2

No surprises there then. Stewed in Guinness and it tastes like Guinness. When pubs etc advertise that their stew etc is made with Guinness they put only enough in to give a different flavour. The bitterness is due to the toasted hops. Try adding some dark brown sugar a bit at a time and see how it goes. You might need to chalk this one up to experience and put a lot less in next time. Better still use Bitter or cider. Always a disappointment as it all takes effort and time. Not to mention the waste of good meat.

Answer 3

Don't do anything for the time being. With some recipes, the flavors mellow out or change during the slow cook stage. (Think of how much different and better spaghetti sauce tastes after it has simmered for a while). Let it cook another hour, then check it again. If it is still too bitter, I would add enough water to make it like a soup, then start bailing the water out. Adding water is a good idea, but if you don't get rid of it, it's going to boil away and the flavor is still going to be the same. You've got to "wash" the flavor away. Email me if you need more help.

Answer 4

(1) You should have marinated the steak in the fridge with the Guinness (plus garlic & herbs - if used) for at least 24 hrs.

(2) If your stew is too bitter, there is nothing wrong with adding a bit of brown sugar.

Answer 5

If you do not like the taste of Guinness...I would try using a lighter beer. I typically do not like cooking with beer because it is too bold of a flavor for me. I find that marinating in beer gives me the effect without the overpowering nature of beer.

Answer 6

Main problem is putting guinness in. I know how awful it is because I have done it myself. My suggestion would be to leave it to cook for as long as the recipe says and then add something sweet such as honey. Or black strap molasses and mix in some sour cream, sweet cream (or elmlea) to balance it. Shame.

Answer 7

A teaspoon of caster sugar takes away the bitterness.

Answer 8

absolutely, i'm able to bear in thoughts celebrating the death of a really obnoxious hen that I used to hearken to each morning when I lived in Haiti. I used to cuss that varmit each morning... then one morning, I over slept and that nighttime we had Coque a'Vin for dinner... and a couple of mornings later... a clean and youthful hen with a milder call.

Answer 9

You haven't done anything wrong. It does just need
time to cook. Don,t add anything to it until towards the
end. It will lose all its flavour and there will be no taste at all.
So be patient - give it time!!

Answer 10

Adding the Guinness was the mistake if you ask me - its horrible.