Irish Stew – Absolute Delish! With Correct Formulas that you just can’t go wrong!
Absolute Delish to come home to on cold winter nights!
Lovely served just plain with some steamed rice and mixed veggies on the side or a medley of sweet corn, carrots or pumpkin, buttered gems or even some Hubbard squash.
Serves: 5 – 6 Total Calories: 6,146
Total Weight of Dish with rice excluding side veggies:4161 g
NOTES:
Do NOT skimp on the onions as it is the onions that really make this dish!
You be the judge – You look at your meat and you decide how fatty or how lean you would like it.
Mutton is the choice for this dish as it is leaner than lamb, has more flavor and holds up well to the long slow cooking method but remember fat is needed – Fat makes delish!
Sheep tail fat is a lovely addition which you may render down with onions together with your meat in a little water at the beginning of your cooking. – As your water cooks down it will be replaced by the fats which will then be used to brown your meat and onions in. Sheep tail fat is delish in curries too! Mutton is the best choice for this dish but you may replace it with lamb if unavailable.
Sheep tail fat is delish in curries too! Mutton is the best choice for this dish but you may replace it with lamb if unavailable.
Best cuts to use are Chump chops, best end or leg chops, knuckles, rib, neck, or loin.
If using mutton plan on 5 hours of slow gentle cooking. – If lamb plan on 2 – 2.5 hours of slow cooking in the same manner. Remember the faster you cook your meat the more shrinkage you will have which means fewer servings and of course you will then compromise on the lovely favors that slow cooking brings – so keep it low and slow!
Rule of thumb: Use an equal amount of meat, to the weight of onions. This is Irish Stew remember and leeks are even better! Go ahead! Use as many leeks as you wish!
To really boost flavor, you may replace some of your onions by weight with leeks which is an absolute must if they are available and in the season especially during the wintertime. However this time I couldn’t get any
so I just went with plain old’ onions.
so I just went with plain old’ onions.
INGREDIENTS:
1.2 kg mutton, chump chops
1,142 g /ml water
1.2 kg onions, peeled and sliced
1.2 kg potatoes, peeled (I leave my skins on for fiber)
60 g fat
250 g chicken stock, homemade or bouillon cubes to taste
Salt to taste
Pepper, white or black to taste (your choice)
Light sprinkling thyme (optional)
Very light sprinkling, crushed rosemary (optional)
500 rice – To serve
Method: Simmer your meat together with onions in 250 ml water to release fats. Once the meat is halfway done – You may add your potatoes together with seasonings to taste.
Add homemade browned or chicken stock cubes to taste together with white or black pepper of your choice and a light sprinkling of thyme and or rosemary (optional).
Allow simmering until tender. Adjust seasonings and continue to simmer on very low heat allowing to just blip away until meat and potatoes are fork-tender. Adjust seasonings.
Serve and enjoy!
Below are the well-loved favorites I’ve always relied on for Irish Stew
Page 1 – Irish Stew ~ My old faithful recipe over the years! Think this is from Mrs. Beeton’s book.
Page 2 – Irish Stew ~ My old faithful recipe over the years! Think this is from Mrs. Beeton’s book.
Love this book! Every recipe tells a story! The Book is Good Old Food: A Taste from the Past by Irena Chalmers