Beer Baked Irish Beef

Top o' the mornin' to ya!  Or top of the evenin' as the case may be.  This looks like it will be worth a try on or about St. Paddy's day next month.

6 slices bacon, diced
1/3 C. all purpose flour
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp. ground allspice
2 1/2lbs. cubed stew meat
4 carrots, peeled and sliced in 1 inch pieces
4 large onions, cut into eighths
2 cloves, garlic, chopped
1/4 C. chopped fresh parsley
1 tsp. dried rosemary, crushed
1 tsp. dried marjoram
1 bay leaf
12oz. Irish stout beer

Place the bacon in a large nonstick skillet, and cook over medium heat until crisp and brown. Remove the bacon pieces and set aside, leaving the drippings in the skillet.

Place the flour, salt, black pepper, and allspice in a large plastic zipper bag, and shake a few times to combine. Place the beef stew meat into the bag, and shake to coat the meat with flour mixture. Place the meat pieces in the skillet with the bacon drippings, and cook the meat until brown on all sides.

Remove the browned meat to a slow cooker, and add the carrots, onions, garlic, parsley, rosemary, marjoram, and bay leaf to the cooker.

Pour the beer into the skillet, and bring to a boil over medium-low heat, scraping all the browned bits of flavor from the bottom of the skillet. Pour the beer into the slow cooker, over the meat and vegetables. Cover, and cook on Medium setting until the meat is very tender, 4 to 5 hours.

Before serving, remove the bay leaf, and sprinkle the stew with the reserved bacon pieces.