To celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, I wear green and decorate in hues of the color, but I prefer the food we serve to be of Irish origin or using Irish products over being colored green. Lamb Stew made with Guinness beer fits my criteria.
Farming has always been a part of Irish culture and Irish stew reflects the history of the Irish. In former times, most families kept sheep, primarily for their wool, but also for the milk, and grew root crops for food. Mutton was eaten when the animal was old or had died by accident. Irish Stew was a regular meal of the common people in Ireland. It was made with mutton, onions, potatoes, and parsley at its most basic and cooked for extended periods of time to make the tough meat edible. When the Irish began immigrating to the United States in the mid-1800s, they brought along their food traditions. The hearty stew of their homeland evolved and adapted to include locally available products. Beef was substituted for the mutton. And additional vegetables like carrots, parsnips, peas, and turnips were added to the stew.
Today’s Irish stew uses succulent lamb with the traditional onions and potatoes. The variation we prefer includes carrots and turnips and some Guinness Stout!
Guinness Lamb Stew
Guinness Lamb Stew (adapted from cookinglight.com) Yield: 6 servings, Total Time Required: 3 hours, 20 minutes
Ingredients:
- 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 2 cups chopped onion
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
- 1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 1/2 pounds boneless leg of lamb, trimmed and cut into 1-inch cubes
- 1 teaspoon salt, divided
- 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
- 2 cups Guinness Stout
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 3 cups beef broth
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 cups (10-12 ounces) Yukon gold potatoes, peeled & cubed
- 2 cups 1-inch thick, diagonally sliced carrot
- 8 ounces baby turnips, peeled & quartered
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley
Prep the ingredients.
Preparation:
Add the flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper to a gallon-sized zipper bag. Add the lamb to the bag and toss the meat in the bag to coat it.
Coat the lamb with the flour & some salt & pepper.
Heat a large heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of oil to the pan, swirling it to coat. Add the onion, thyme, and rosemary to the pan and sauté the onion and herbs for 5 minutes, stirring them occasionally. Remove the onion mixture to a large bowl and set it aside.
Saute the onions.
Return the pan to medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of oil to the pan, swirling it to coat. Add half of lamb mixture to the pan, sauté it for 6 minutes, turning the pieces to brown them on all sides. Add the browned lamb to the onion mixture. Repeat the procedure with the remaining lamb and remaining 1 tablespoon of oil, adding the lamb to the bowl when it has browned.
Brown the lamb, in batches if need be.
Add the beer to the pan and bring it to a boil, scraping the pan to loosen the browned bits. Cook the beer until it has reduced to 1 cup (about 5 minutes). Return the onion mixture and lamb to the pan. Stir in the tomato paste, cooking the stew for 30 seconds.
Add the tomato paste.
Add the broth and bay leaf to the pan, then bring it all to a boil. Cover the pan, reduce the heat, and simmer the stew for 1 hour and 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add the broth to the stew.
Stir in the potatoes, carrots, and turnips. Simmer the stew, uncovered, for 1 1/2 hours or until the meat and vegetables are tender.
Add the carrots, potatoes, & turnip to the stew.
Stir in the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, the remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and the tablespoon of mustard. Ladle the stew into bowls and sprinkle them with parsley to serve.
Celebrating St. Patrick’s Day with some awesome stew!
Celebrating our Irish heritage with this stew! ~Linda
Guinness Lamb Stew (adapted from cookinglight.com) Yield: 6 servings, Total Time Required: 3 hours, 20 minutes
Ingredients:
- 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 2 cups chopped onion
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
- 1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 1/2 pounds boneless leg of lamb, trimmed and cut into 1-inch cubes
- 1 teaspoon salt, divided
- 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
- 2 cups Guinness Stout
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 3 cups beef broth
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 cups (10-12 ounces) Yukon gold potatoes, peeled & cubed
- 2 cups 1-inch thick, diagonally sliced carrot
- 8 ounces baby turnips, peeled & quartered
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley
Preparation:
Add the flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper to a gallon-sized zipper bag. Add the lamb to the bag and toss the meat in the bag to coat it.
Heat a large heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of oil to the pan, swirling it to coat. Add the onion, thyme, and rosemary to the pan and sauté the onion and herbs for 5 minutes, stirring them occasionally. Remove the onion mixture to a large bowl and set it aside.
Return the pan to medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of oil to the pan, swirling it to coat. Add half of the lamb mixture to the pan, sauté it for 6 minutes, turning the pieces to brown them on all sides. Add the browned lamb to the onion mixture. Repeat the procedure with the remaining lamb and remaining 1 tablespoon of oil, adding the lamb to the bowl when it has browned.
Add the beer to the pan and bring it to a boil, scraping the pan to loosen the browned bits. Cook the beer until it has reduced to 1 cup (about 5 minutes). Return the onion mixture and lamb to the pan. Stir in the tomato paste, cooking the stew for 30 seconds. Add the broth and bay leaf to the pan, then bring it all to a boil. Cover the pan, reduce the heat, and simmer the stew for 1 hour and 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the potatoes, carrots, and turnips. Simmer the stew, uncovered, for 1 1/2 hours or until the meat and vegetables are tender. Stir in the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, the remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and the tablespoon of mustard. Ladle the stew into bowls and sprinkle them with parsley to serve.