Real Irish Stew Recipes

Steps:

• In a stockpot, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp. Using a slotted spoon, remove to paper towels. In a large shallow dish, combine flour, salt and pepper. Add beef, a few pieces at a time, and turn to coat. Brown beef in the bacon drippings. Remove and set aside., In the same pot, saute the mushrooms, leeks, carrots and celery in oil until tender. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Stir in tomato paste until blended. Add the broth, beer, bay leaves, thyme, parsley and rosemary. Return beef and bacon to pot. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer until beef is tender, about 2 hours., Add potatoes. Return to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer until potatoes are tender, about 1 hour longer. Combine cornstarch and water until smooth; stir into stew. Bring to a boil; cook and stir until thickened, about 2 minutes. Add peas; heat through. Discard bay leaves.

Steps:

• Toss beef cubes with 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in a bowl.
• Whisk flour, salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper in a separate bowl. Dredge beef cubes through flour mixture until evenly coated.
• Heat 1/4 cup vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat; cook and stir coated beef cubes, working in batches, until beef is browned on all sides, 5 to 10 minutes. Transfer browned beef to a Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot.
• Cook and stir onions and garlic in the same skillet used for browning beef until lightly browned, 5 to 10 minutes.
• Stir tomato paste with enough water to partially dilute; pour into onion mixture. Stir to blend. Reduce heat to medium, cover Dutch oven, and simmer for 5 minutes.
• Pour half the Irish stout into the onion mixture, and bring to a boil while scraping the browned bits of food off of the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Transfer entire mixture to the browned beef. Pour remaining half of Irish stout into beef mixture; add thyme.
• Cover Dutch oven, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 2 hours. Add potatoes and carrots and simmer, stirring every 20 minutes, until potatoes are soft, about 1 hour. Adjust salt as needed; garnish with parsley.

Steps:

• Make the stock. Put the lamb bones in a large heavy-based saucepan with the carrot, onion, celery, herbs, peppercorns and 1 tsp salt. Pour in 3 litres/5 ¼ pints water. Bring to the boil and simmer uncovered for 2 hours.
• Strain the stock through a fine sieve to remove bones and vegetables, then return to the pan. Boil until reduced to about 1.3 litres/2 ¼ pints. (You can make the stock the day before - keep it in a covered container in the fridge, or freeze it for up to 3 months.)
• Make the stew. Cut the lamb into large chunks. Peel the potatoes (keeping both types separate) and cut into pieces of similar size to the meat. Put the two different types in separate bowls of water to keep them white. Peel the carrots and cut into slightly smaller pieces. Slice the onions into thick rings.
• Put the lamb in a large, clean saucepan. Pour in the stock and bring to the boil, skimming off all the impurities from the surface. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer gently for 10 minutes.
• Add the floury potatoes, carrots and onions. Season generously and simmer for a further 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Add the waxy potatoes and thyme. Simmer until the lamb is tender (15-20 minutes). Take off the heat, cover (don't stir) and leave for 15 minutes. (You can make this up to 2 days ahead and keep in the fridge). Garnish and serve.

Steps:

• Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add beef; cook until evenly browned, 3 to 5 minutes per side.
• Place potatoes, carrots, onion, and garlic in a slow cooker; top with browned beef.
• Pour 1/4 cup beer into the same skillet and bring to a boil while scraping the browned bits of beef off of the bottom of the skillet with a wooden spoon. Stir in tomato paste; cook until thickened, about 5 minutes. Pour beer mixture into slow cooker.
• Pour beef broth, remaining beer, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, salt, and pepper into slow cooker.
• Cook on Low for 8 hours.