Description
Traditional Irish stew can be made using either beef, or lamb. It’s a hearty stew with tender chunks of meat, carrots, celery, potatoes, and mushrooms. It’s sure to satisfy.
Ingredients
- 1 pound beef, (chuck shoulder, or stew meat – could also use lamb), cut into 1 inch chunks
- salt and pepper
- 1 to 2 tablespoons avocado oil
- 1 white, or yellow onion, cut into large chunks
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 3 tablespoons white rice flour (or sub all purpose flour)
- 3 cups low sodium beef broth (see notes)
- A few sprigs of thyme (or sub 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme)
- 16 ounces mushrooms, washed and quartered
- 4 stalks celery, cut into large chunks
- 5 carrots, peeled and cut into large chunks
- 10 red potatoes (2 pounds), cut into big chunks
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- black pepper, to taste
- Fresh parsley, for garnish
Instructions
- Prepare: If you stew meat doesn’t already come cut up, cut it at this time. Pat it dry with a paper towel. Season with salt and pepper. Also, chop your onion, and mince the garlic, set aside.
- Sear the meat: Heat a large, heavy-bottomed stew pot, or Dutch oven, with a tight fitting lid, over medium heat. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil. Add 1/3 of the beef chunks to the skillet. Sear the meat for 2 to 3 minutes on one side, flip, and sear for another 1 minute. Remove the beef to another dish. Repeat, until the remaining beef is seared. NOTE: you don’t want to add all the beef at once, otherwise it will overcrowd the pan, and the beef will steam. I seared mine in three batches. Only use the second tablespoon of oil if the pan gets dry.
- Sauté: once all the beef has been seared, and removed from the pan, add the onion and a little kosher salt. Sauté the onions for 3 minutes, or until they begin to look tender. Add the garlic and sauté for 1 more minute.
- Make a roux: Melt the butter and add the rice flour, or all purpose flour, and cook the flour for 1 to 2 minutes, or until the flour looks lightly browned.
- Deglaze: Once the roux has cooked slowly whisk about a 1/2 of a cup of the broth to start with. Then, use a wooden spoon to scrape the bottom of the pan so you get all the beef bits released from the pan. Stir in the remaining broth, along with the beef, and any of it’s juices. Add the thyme sprigs (I like to tie mine into a bundle with kitchen twine to make it easier to fish out later).
- Simmer the beef: Cover and simmer for 20 minutes.
- Cut up remaining veggies: While the beef is simmering you can cut up the remaining veggies as instructed above.
- Simmer the mushrooms: Add the mushrooms into the stew and simmer for 15 minutes, or until the mushrooms have reduced in size.
- Simmer the carrots and celery: Add the carrots and celery and simmer another 10 minutes, with the lid off. NOTE: at this point there won’t look like much liquid compared to the amount of veggies in the stew. Don’t worry, the veggies will release their liquid as they cook and you will end up with the right amount of liquid for a stew-like dish.
- Cook the potatoes: Stir in the salt and pepper, add the potatoes and simmer for another 10 to 12 minutes, covered, or until the potatoes are fork tender.
- Finish: Fish out the thyme leaves, and remove. Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed.
- Serve: Ladle the stew into serving bowls. Garnish with parsley, if desired. Serve immediately. Store leftovers in an air tight container in the fridge for up to 1 week. The stew is even better the next day.
Notes
Lamb: I used beef for this recipe, but lamb would be very delicious. Lamb is very commonly used in Ireland.
Guinness version: It can be very traditional to add a bottle of Guinness beer. I have made it this way, it does add a nice flavor, however, it is delicious without it too. If you decide to add the Guinness, only add 2 cups of beef broth, instead of 3.
Gluten free: To make this recipe gluten free make sure to omit the Guinness, and use all broth instead. Also, make sure to use rice flour for the roux, it works great.
Thicker stew: If you want your stew to be a little bit more on the thicker side then leave the lid off while simmering the mushrooms, to reduce the liquid. You do want to have the lid on when cooking the potatoes to help them to cook faster.
Veggies: I stagger when my veggies enter the stew. I do this because I like my veggies to be tender, but not falling apart. Of course, if you don’t mind that, you can add your carrots and celery in the same time as the mushrooms. I would wait to add the potatoes in at the last 10 to 12 minute mark however, so that they aren’t overcooked.
