Tender lamb & vegetables braised with Guinness stout make this Irish inspired stew rich and comforting
One of our favorite comfort foods has to be stew
Hearty, warming and filling what’s not to like?
We are taking this stew to the next level and making an Irish inspired stew with lamb and Guinness Stout
We are using lamb shoulder chops which is usually a cheaper cut of lamb
That is because typically it is a tougher cut which makes it perfect for a stew
As it braises it will become very, very tender
Now you can have the butcher cut up lamb stew meat for you but we are going to process this ourselves
We are starting with 12 bone in lamb chops
Remove the meat from the bones and trim off any excess fat
Try to cut the meat into even sized cubes
This yielded around 2 1/2 pounds of lamb stew meat
Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a dutch oven over medium high heat
We are going to sear the lamb in batches, so add some into the pot and sprinkle with kosher salt and ground black pepper
Brown the stew meat on all sides then remove and set aside
Repeat until all the meat has been browned
It’s ok to have small brown bits of meat stuck to the bottom of the pot
That will just add in flavor later on
Comfort food, especially stews are so fantastic because you continuously add in layers of flavor
The first layer was the searing of the lamb
Now we are going to start on the next layer of flavor
We will need 3 slices of bacon, 1 onion and 3 garlic cloves
Peel and chop the onion and garlic
Cut the bacon into small pieces
Reduce the heat to medium low and add the bacon to the pot
Cook 6-8 minutes stirring occasionally, until the bacon is brown and rendered
Next add in the onion and garlic
Stir to combine
Cook 4-6 minutes stirring occasionally until the vegetables soften and onion starts to become translucent
Next, we will need 1/4 cup of flour, one 14.9 ounce can of Guinness Stout (I did say Irish stew), 6 cups of beef stock, 2 tablespoons of Gravy Master, 1 tablespoon of Worcestershire Sauce, 1 sprig of fresh rosemary and 1 sprig of fresh thyme
Click on our link to make Homemade Beef Stock
Sprinkle the vegetables with the flour and stir to combine
Deglaze the bottom of the pot with the Guinness and stir it up breaking up the browned bits on the bottom (this will help flavor the gravy)
Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer cook 5-6 minutes to cook the alcohol off
Next, add in the Gravy Master and Worcestershire Sauce and stir
Add in the beef stock and stir to combine
Put the meat back in with any pan juices that have collected
We tied the rosemary and thyme together with a piece of butcher string just to make it easier to remove the stems later on
Add the sprigs to the pot and cover
Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer for 45 minutes stirring occasionally
While that’s cooking lets get the next 2 ingredients ready
We will need 4 red potatoes and 4 carrots
Leave the skins on the potatoes
Peel the carrots and remove the ends
Give everyone a chop trying your best to keep the pieces as even as possible
After the 45 minutes are up add the potatoes and carrots to the pot and stir to combine
Cover and bring to a boil reduce to a simmer and cook 25 minutes or until the vegetables are tender
We might be breaking a bit of tradition here but I cannot have stew without mushrooms
We are using 10 ounces of Baby Bella mushrooms that have been wiped clean of any dirt
Give the mushrooms a slice
Add these to the stew
Now this time I know I’m breaking tradition
My wife and daughter just love pearl onions (or “Pearled” onions as my daughter used to call them)
So I’m adding in 1 cup of frozen pearl onions
Cover and bring to a boil then reduce heat to a simmer and cook 10 minutes
Remove the stems you tied together of the rosemary and thyme
Next we will need 2 tablespoons of fresh parsley that we will chop
This will add a bright freshness to the rich stew
Remove the stew from the heat
Taste and re-season the stew with kosher salt and ground black pepper as needed
Add in the fresh chopped parsley
Dig into a warming hearty bowl of Irish Stew!
Enjoy!!!
Simply Sunday! ~ Irish Lamb Stew
Ingredients
2 1/2 pounds of lamb stew meat
2 tablespoons of olive oil
kosher salt and ground black pepper
3 slices of bacon
1 onion
3 garlic cloves
1/4 cup of flour
one 14.9 ounce of Guinness Stout
6 cups of beef stock
2 tablespoons of Gravy Master
1 tablespoon of Worcestershire Sauce
1 fresh sprig of rosemary
1 fresh sprig of thyme
4 red potatoes
4 carrots
10 ounces of Baby Bella mushrooms
1 cup of frozen pearl onions
2 tablespoons of fresh chopped parsley
Directions
If butchering your own lamb shoulder chops remove the meat from the bones and trim off any excess fat. Try to cut the meat into even sized cubes. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a dutch oven over medium high heat
Sear the lamb in batches. Add some into the pot and sprinkle with kosher salt and ground black pepper. Brown the stew meat on all sides then remove and set aside. Repeat until all the meat has been browned
Reduce the heat to medium low and add 3 slices of chopped bacon to the pot. Cook 6-8 minutes stirring occasionally, until the bacon is brown and rendered. Next peel and chop 1 onion and 3 garlic cloves and add them to the pot. Stir to combine. Cook 4-6 minutes stirring occasionally until the vegetables soften and onion starts to become translucent
Sprinkle the vegetables with 1/4 cup of flour and stir to combine. Deglaze the bottom of the pot with the Guinness and stir it up breaking up the browned bits on the bottom (this will help flavor the gravy). Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer cook 5-6 minutes to cook the alcohol off
Next add in 2 tablespoons of Gravy Master and 1 tablespoon of Worcestershire Sauce along with 6 cups of beef stock and stir to combine. Add the meat back in with any pan juices that have collected. Tie 1 sprig of fresh rosemary and 1 sprig of fresh thyme together and add them to the pot. Cover and bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer for 45 minutes stirring occasionally
Leave the skins on 4 red potatoes and chop. Peel and remove the ends from 4 carrots and chop. After the 45 minutes are up add the potatoes and carrots to the pot and stir to combine. Cover and bring to a boil reduce to a simmer and cook 25 minutes or until the vegetables are tender
Wipe any dirt off of 10 ounces of Baby Bella mushrooms and slice. Add these to the stew along with 1 cup of frozen pearl onions. Cover and bring to a boil then reduce heat to a simmer and cook 10 minutes
Remove the stew from the heat. Taste and re-season with kosher salt and black pepper as needed. Remember to remove the stems from the rosemary and thyme you tied together earlier. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons of fresh chopped parsley and serve
Tools used to make this recipe
ZELITE INFINITY Chef Knife 8 inch
ZELITE INFINITY Boning Knife 6 Inch
Architec Carving Board, Gripperwood
OXO Good Grips Flat Wire Whisk
Royal Classique 10 Piece Stainless Steel Measuring Cups and Spoons Set with Silicone Handles
Lodge Enameled Cast Iron Dutch Oven
Anchor Hocking 8 Cup Measuring Cup Glass Batter Bowl with Spout
© Simply Sundays 2018
All rights reserved
[…] Irish Lamb Stew […]
I love a good hearty stew which is packed with flavours. A ideal dish for the cold weather and St. Patrick’s day.
What a wholesome stew with lamb and so many varieties of veggies. Perfect comforting meal for cold days.
Thank you!!
There are so many things I adore about this stew! First of all, it’s lamb, obviously! Next the Guinness Stout is huge! And I love all of the veges you added! Especially the pearl onions! They are so underrated!
Thank you Beth!!
I love a good stew but most often make beef as lamb isn’t so widely available here in Northern Italy! But it’s my favourite meat! Going to keep this stew in mind next time I have some lamb! Looks so good and warming!
Thanks Jacqueline! The recipe would work just as well with beef but I hope you come across some tasty lamb!