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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.
Course Main Course, Main Dish
Cuisine Irish, Keto, Low Fat
Keyword Downton Abbey Recipes
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes
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.
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