Irish Beef Stew

Copyright 2012 LtDan'sKitchen blogs

In celebration of St. Patrick's Day, I decided to cook a few Irish dishes to celebrate this festive day. Since I could not go out and drink, I might as well make something I could eat, in moderation. Corned Beef and Cabbage seems to be the most popular dish prepared on this day but I decided on a more simple fare, the Irish Stew. I reckon another round of the movie Leap Year might go well with this Irish inspired dish.

The stew is very simple made with only four ingredients so I wanted to add some complexity to the rather basic flavor. For one, a good bottle of pale ale was a wonderful addition in both the flavor to the broth and in tenderizing the meat. A dash of HP brown sauce also added a bit of sweetness to the stew. I'm not sure an Irish will appreciate the additions but I hope that both can be overlooked.

Irish Beef Stew - Adapted*

2 lbs beef ribs
1 1/2 onion, quartered
1/2 lb bacon, cut into 1-inch dice
3 lbs potatoes
2 cups water
1 bottle pale ale
2 tbsp HP brown sauce
salt and pepper

1. In a large pot, arrange the beef on the bottom of the pot. Top with the
    onion slices and diced bacon. Season with salt and pepper.

2. Add the water and bring to a boil at medium heat. Once boiling, cover
    and decrease heat to low. Simmer for an hour and a half.

3. Peel the potatoes and cut into large chunks and add to the pot. Add the
    beer and HP brown sauce and cover to bring back to a simmer.

4. After 30 minutes, increase the heat to medium and allow the broth to
    concentrate uncovered. Check for flavor and adjust accordingly. Serve
    with a slice of warm Irish Soda Bread.

*Tighe, Eileen: Editor, Women's Day Encyclopedia of Cookery Volume 6, Fawcett, Publications, New York: 1966.