Irish Stew

 Aunt Kate used to say that a true Irish Stew is made with lamb chops or Lamb Neck/shoulder. She also said get to know your butcher and become friends with them as they will help you when you need the right cuts of meat. Boy was she right. When I first moved to Virginia, I took a job working at a country grocery store and became the butcher’s assistant. Lucky for me I was given the chance to learn how to cut meats properly and how to choose the right cuts of meats. This came in handy when shopping for meat because I knew what was good and what wasn’t. Talk about saving money! Anyway, Kate said although Lamb meat is the best, you can also use beef for this dish, depending on your budget and what is available at your butcher shop. Try this recipe both ways and let me know what you like best.

Ingredients

3 middle necks of lamb approximately 4 lbs. but once cooked down should equal 2lbs of actual meat

5 cups of cubed potatoes

½ cup of carrots

2 small onions

½ tsp fresh thyme leaves

chopped fresh chives and parsley, to garnish

For the stock

bones from the lamb

1 large carrot quartered

1 medium onion quartered

½ celery stick, quartered

1 bay leaf

2 large sprigs of thyme

a generous sprig of parsley

6 black peppercorns lightly crushed

4.5 Cups of Water

Directions:

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 4.5 cups of 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 4 cups. (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 and cut them into pieces of a similar size to the meat. Put the potatoes in bowls of water to keep them white. Peel the carrots and cut them 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 a boil, skimming off all the impurities from the surface. Reduce the heat, cover, and simmer gently for 20 minutes.

Add the potatoes, carrots, and onions. Season generously and simmer for a further 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the 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 it in the fridge). Garnish and serve.

Elizabeth Kilbride is a Writer and Editor with forty years of experience in writing with 12 of those years in the online content sphere. Author of 5 books and a Graduate with an Associate of Arts from Phoenix University in Business Management, then a degree. Mass Communication and Cyber Analysis from Ashford University, then on to Walden University for her master’s in criminology with emphasis on Cybercrime and Identity Theft and is currently studying for her Ph.D. degree in Criminology. Her work portfolio includes coverage of politics, current affairs, elections, history, and true crime. Elizabeth is also a gourmet cook, life coach, and avid artist in her spare time, proficient in watercolor, acrylic, oil, pen and ink, Gouche, and pastels. As a political operative having worked on over 300 campaigns during her career, Elizabeth has turned many life events into books and movie scripts while using history to weave interesting storylines. She also runs 7 blogs that range from art to life coaching, to food, to writing, Gardening, and opinion or history pieces each week. 

Irish Fare, Potpourri of Frugality. Kilbride