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Old-Fashioned Irish Stew

A warming bowl of Irish stew is the culmination of comfort food. It's easy to see why this filling one-pot meat stew is renowned both in Ireland and the rest of the world. Irish stew has been originally made with mutton and only potatoes, but it is commonly made with lamb and vegetables these days, as this type of meat is easier to find.

Prep Time 2 hours and 40 minutes
Serves: 4
Difficulty Level: Low
Old-Fashioned Irish Stew
Ingredients for Old-fashioned Irish Stew:
Vegetable oil - 2 tbsp. (divided)
Lamb meat - 1 lb. (cut into 2-inch chunks, divided)
Carrots - 1 cup (roughly chopped, divided)
Onions - 1 cup (roughly chopped, divided)
Leeks - 1 cup (roughly chopped)
Potatoes - 2 lbs. (peeled and cut into quarters, divided)
Beef stock - 3 cups
All-Purpose flour - 2 tbsp.
Salt and Pepper - to taste
Cabbage - 2-3 leaves (thinly sliced, optional)
Parsley - to garnish (optional)
Method of preparing the Old-fashioned Irish Stew:
  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).
  2. In a large skillet, heat half of the oil on medium-high heat. When the oil is shimmering, brown half of the lamb.
  3. Transfer the lamb pieces to a large ovenproof pot or Dutch oven. Cover the browned meat with half of the carrots, onions, leeks, and potatoes.
  4. Repeat steps 1-3 to make another layer of meat topped with veggies.
  5. Reduce the heat in the frying pan to low. Then pour in the flour and mix well for the flour to soak up any meat juices and browned bits. Cook the flour for 2-3 minutes on low.
  6. One ladle at a time, start adding the beef stock to the skillet, constantly mixing until you have a thick sauce with no clumps. You will not need to add all of the stock.
  7. Pour the sauce over the meat and vegetables, as well as any remaining stock. Cover the Dutch oven with a lid and place it into the oven. Cook for 1 hour.
  8. After an hour, mix the stew well and add the cabbage (if you're using it). Check that the stock hasn't been reduced too much. If so, add a drizzle of hot water, just enough to cover the meat and vegetables in liquid. Continue cooking for another hour.
  9. The Irish stew is ready when all of the vegetables are cooked through and the meat is tender. Season with salt and pepper. Serve warm and garnish with fresh parsley.
  10. You can store any remaining stew in the fridge for up to 3 days. In our opinion, this stew is always tastier the next day, so make the full batch even if you're only making this dish for yourself.
Source: Thespruceeats.com
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