Irish Stew
Ingredients
- 12 oz bacon or smoked pork belly, diced
- 1/4 cup flour
- salt
- pepper
- 3 lb lamb shoulder chops, cut into 1" pieces
- olive or cooking oil as needed
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 12-oz Guinness beer
- 5 cups beef broth
- 3 carrots, sliced into 1" pieces
- 1 lb baby potatoes, cleaned and cut in halves
- 3/4 tsp dried thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
- flour, if needed
Directions
Heat a stock pot or another large pot over medium-high heat. Add the bacon and cook until the fat is rendered and the bacon is cooked through. Using a slotted spoon, remove bacon from the pot onto a paper towel and set aside to drain.
In a large bowl, mix together the flour with 1/4 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper. Add the lamb pieces and mix until they are all coated.
Add the lamb to the pot with the bacon fat and brown on all sides. Using a slotted spoon, remove lamb and set aside.
Add oil to the pot with the bacon grease, if needed. Add chopped onion, turn heat down to medium and cook until soft, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.
Add 1/2 cup of beer to the pot, turn heat to high and deglaze, scrapping any brown bits.
Add the rest of the beer and beef broth to the pot. Add the reserved bacon bits and lamb, bring to a boil, turn heat down to low and then simmer, uncovered, for about 90 minutes. Add more beef broth as needed during cooking.
Add the potatoes, carrots, thyme and bay leaves and simmer for another 25 minutes or until the vegetables are tender. Stir in Worcestershire sauce, taste and adjust seasonings.
If needed to thicken the stew add a little bit of flour, stirring constantly to make sure it doesn't clump.
