Happy St. Paddies!!
Here is an amazing Irish Stew recipe after my husband told me no corned beef this year. Hope everyone has an amazing day!
IRISH STEW
When making beef stew of any kind I have pretty much have stopped using cooking oil. My choice is bacon grease.
I use a large heavy bottomed stainless steel stockpot.
I heat my element to medium and add a package of bacon chopped or cut with cooking sheers.
I buy cheap bacon for this, it seems to make more grease.
Brown bacon slowly so not to burn bacon or grease.
Drain bacon and reserve fat.
I am using a mesh colander and a glass 2 cup Pyrex measuring cup. Please use glass and not plastic as this will melt with hot grease.
The bottom of my stockpot looks amazing!
Leave all this yummy bits for the next step.
Chop two onions corse, and three large garlic cloves.
Add around three tablespoons of reserved bacon grease to stockpot on medium heat.
Add garlic and onions
Meanwhile chop about a cup of mushrooms.
I dice mine more due to the fact papa bear hates mushrooms.
Add mushrooms to onions and garlic and cook for a few minutes.
Remove all from pot.
Place in dish.
Next I add another three or so tablespoons of oil to stockpot.
When oil is warm add beef. Only a small amount at a time so not to over crowd. Beef will not brown and will boil if to many prices are in pot.
Using tongs is super rad!
I put my browned beef on top of onion mix.
After all meat is brown the bottom of my stockpot looks really Bitchin!
So next add red wine to pot.
Add one beer
Add two bay leaves
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon thyme
Add 1 teaspoon worch. sauce
Four cups broth
Two teaspoons tomato paste
Now bring all to boil, cover and lower temp to simmer, let your stew sit and get yummy for at least an hour.
After simmer I add these super cute taters. About a pound and a half.
And a few carrots. About three chopped .
Add salt to taste, I added around 1/2 teaspoon maybe more. I'm a salt and taste as I go kinda gal!
Raise temp to medium.
Let boil for five minutes then lower temp and simmer covered halfway
I skim off a bit of stew into a glass dish, I let it sit awhile to cool.
Add around 2 tablespoons cornstarch to cooling stew
Mix with wisk
Add to stew.
Stir while adding.
Bring stew back up to rapid simmer, allow to bubble a few minutes then return to resting simmer for around an hour halfway covered.
Check on stew every so often giving it a quick stir.
After an hour or so if your stew is urber watery just raise temp and stir to boil off excess for desired consistency.
Serve with crusty bread.
Enjoy!
