A Gorgeous Guinness Stew with Yorkshire Pudding

My first ever taste of Guinness was in O'Neills pub in Dublin nearly 10 years ago and I've been hooked ever since.  This is my version of Guinness Stew with Yorkshire Pudding.

Guinness Stew
3 large organic carrots (peeled and cut into thirds)
12 french eschalots (peeled but left whole)
2 bouquet garni
4 tablespoons of triple concentrated tomato paste
2 tablespoons garlic (crushed)
2 x 440ml cans Guinness Draft brewed in Dublin
3 sprigs sage
4 sprigs thyme
Sprinkle of Tuscan seasoning
2 1/2 kg chuck steak
Garlic infused olive oil
1/2 - 3/4 cup cornflour (for dusting)

Preheat oven to 135 degrees celsius (fan forced).
Place the eschalots and carrots into a large 5 3/4 quart Le Creuset casserole dish.
Cut the steak into large cubes (about 5 x 5 cm) and trim off the fat reserving it for the Yorkshire pudding (see the recipe below for the Rendered Beef Fat).
Pat the steak with kitchen towel to remove any moisture then lightly dust in the cornflour.
Heat about a tablespoon of the garlic infused olive oil in a non-stick pan and brown the steak on both sides.  Remove when done and place in the casserole dish on top of the eschalots and carrots.  Cook the steak in batches and periodically deglaze the pan with the Guinness - pour the yummy flavoursome bits into the casserole dish.  Continue until all the steak is done.
Pour remaining Guinness into the casserole and add the garlic, tomato paste, bouquet garni, sage, thyme and then sprinkle a little bit of the Tuscan seasoning on top. 
Place lid on top and cook for 3-4 hours.

Rendered Beef Fat
In a non-stick pan throw all those pieces of fat that you trimmed off the steak and cover with water.  Cook on high heat to render the fat - let the water evaporate.
Strain the fat into a bowl and discard the leftovers.  Allow to cool and set.

Yorkshire Pudding 
4 eggs (broken into a large jug)
The weight of those 4 eggs in milk
The weight of those 4 eggs in plain flour
1 tablespoon cold water
Rendered Beef Fat (above)

Whisk the eggs in the jug then add the milk.
Sift a tablespoon of flour at a time into the egg/milk mixture whisking each time to remove lumps.  Continue until all the flour is used up.
Cover the jug with plastic film and leave the batter on the kitchen bench for 2-3 hours.
Preheat the oven to 240 degrees celsius (fan forced).
Heat an empty 10-12 cup muffin tray in the oven until hot.  
Remove from oven and put a pea size dollop of the rendered fat into the base of each muffin tin.
Place the muffin tray back into the oven, remove when the fat starts to sizzle.
Add the cold water to the Yorkshire pudding batter and whisk one last time.
Fill each muffin tin a third full.
Bake for 10-15 minutes until brown.
If you're lucky any left over puds can be frozen for next time.

Serve the Yorkshire Pudding with the Guinness Stew and a bit of mashed potato (optional) sprinkled with a bit of finely chopped Spanish onion.  This stew is sooooo delicious that you'll want more and more and more and believe me with this recipe there is plenty to go round.  Great with a glass of authentic Guinness Draft brewed in Dublin or a bottle of an Australian red such as 'miles from nowhere" Margaret River 2010 Cabernet Merlot - enjoy.