There is nothing as comforting as stew when it is cold outside. Celebrate Branson’s heritage with the way the Irish prepare stew, with beer added.
King George V loved Irish Stew, but his version was made with mutton.
Comforting Irish Stew
There is nothing as comforting as stew when it is cold outside. Celebrate Branson's heritage with the way the Irish prepare stew, with beer added. King George V loved Irish Stew.
Servings 4 people
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp. vegetable oil
- 1 tbsp. butter
- 1 1/4 pounds stew beef cut into 1 inch pieces
- 6 cloves garlic minced
- 8 cups beef stock/broth DYI recipe below
- 2 tbsp. tomato paste
- 1 tbsp. sugar
- 1 tbsp. dried thyme
- 1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
- 2 medium bay leaves
- 2 tbsp. unsalted butter
- 3 pounds russet potatoes peeled cut into 1/2 pieces Keto: substitute sweede, turnip
- 2 cups carrots keto: use half the carrots or omit.
- 1 large onion finely chopped
- 1-2 cups dark beer optional
- 2 tbsp. fresh parsley chopped
- 1 pinch Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat.
- Important Tip: Use paper towels to dry the beef. This will ensure you are browning the beef, not steaming it--makes a big difference in your final stew.
- Add beef and sauté until brown on all sides, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and sauté 1 minute. Add beer if you are using.
- Add beef stock, tomato paste, sugar, thyme, Worcestershire sauce and bay leaves. Stir to combine. Bring mixture to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, then cover and simmer 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
- Meanwhile, melt the butter in another large pot over medium heat.
- Add potatoes, onion and carrots. Sauté vegetables until golden, about 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
- After the meat has simmered for 1 hour, add vegetables to beef stew.
- Simmer uncovered until vegetables and beef are very tender, about 40 minutes.
- Discard bay leaves.
- Transfer stew to serving bowl.
- Sprinkle with parsley, which gives it a really nice fresh taste, and serve.
Notes
For some reason stew always tastes better the next day, so you can resist the temptation to eat it on the first day. Refrigerate and enjoy on day 2. This freezes really well, allowing you to enjoy it on a night when you don't feel like cooking...like every night of the week!
We have a Jack Sprat household. My husband lives low fat, I live keto, so I will make the stew with carrots and just pick them out.
Beef Bone Broth
Bone broth is the latest in health trends. Grandmothers would be so proud that what is old is new again. Make your own beef broth for soups or just to enjoy on it's own. It freezes really well.
Servings 10 cups
Ingredients
- 4-5 lb meaty beef and veal bones
- 1 lb. stew meat
- 2 large onions peeled and quartered
- 2 large carrots roughly chopped
- 1 splash olive oil
- 1 bunch Celery stalks and leaves
- 1 bunch broccoli stems
- 2 cloves garlic unpeeled
- 1 handful parsley stems and leaves
- 1 large bay leaves
- 10 loose peppercorns
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F/200°C/Gas 6.
- Place stock bones, stew meat or beef scraps, carrots and onions in a large, shallow roasting pan, and drizzle some olive oil on top.
- Bake for 45 minutes, turning the bones and meat pieces halfway through the cooking, until browned. Transfer the meat and vegetables to a large stock pot.
- Deglaze the roasting pan on low heat by pouring a little water in the pan and scraping up all of the browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pan. Pour the browned bits and water into the stock pot.
- Add the remaining ingredients into the pot, and fill with water so it is about 1 inch (2.5 cm) above the bones.
- Turn the heat to high and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low. Partially cover the pot and let simmer untouched for 3–4 hours, occasionally skimming the scum that rises to the top.
- I let the stock simmer for the afternoon, but it should be left for at least 3 hours. Remove from the heat and take out the vegetables, meat and bones. You can reclaim the stew meat for a soup, and if you are a fan of marrow, now is the time to dig in. Let the mixture cool, then strain the stock into tall containers which take up less room in your refrigerator. Refrigerate and you will see that the fat has risen to the top and created a white layer. You can easily pick it off and discard.
- Once cooled, the fat will rise to the top which you can now easily remove.
- You can now use the stock which will keep in your refrigerator for a few days. Freeze the rest in plastic containers for future use. I also freeze some in ice cube trays, transferring into a plastic bag. One or two cubes are great for the times when you only need a little stock to add to a dish.