Tasty Tuesday: Irish Lamb Stew

Okay....it is supposed to be Irish Lamb Stew.  But, I had venison in the freezer, so I used that.  But, let's just pretend you see lamb in that bowl for this Tasty Tuesday.  I found a variation of this recipe on allrecipes.com.  I really enjoy making it as a treat now and then.  It isn't for everyone.  But, you can adapt for your taste buds.

Traditional Irish Lamb Stew

Ingredients:

1 pound thickly sliced bacon, diced

3 or 4 pounds boneless lamb shoulder, cut into 2 inch pieces

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 teaspoons white sugar

1 teaspoon dried thyme

2 bay leaves

2 large onions, cut into bite-size pieces

4 cups diced carrots

3 potatoes

1/2 cup white wine

2 cups of guinness beer (add more beer if needed as the mixture cooks)

4 cups beef stock

Directions:

Okay, leave it to the folks in my Irish blood line to add a pound of bacon to stew, along with wine and beer.  Sigh.  I have found that I didn't really need a whole pound of bacon.  So, if you are afraid your arteries might clog just by looking at this recipe...feel free to cut down on the bacon load.  Your first task is to put the bacon in a large, deep skillet.  Cook it up until it is nice and brown.  Drain it or your stew will be really greasy.  Crumble the bacon into little bits and set the plate aside while you get some other work done.

I also found that you don't really need all of the lamb that the recipe calls for.  You know how much meat you like in your stew.  Use your own judgment.  Put the lamb, potatoes, onions, and carrots in a large crockpot.  A small crock won't do.  The vegetables alone take up a lot of space and as it gets boiling, you don't want a mess.  

Throw your bacon on top of the meat and vegetables.  

Spices next.  Add salt, pepper, flour, garlic, sugar, thyme, and bay leaves.

End with the liquid.  No water here folks.  Oh no.  This is traditional Irish lamb stew.  Break out the wine and Guiness.  Pour 1/2 cup of white wine, 4 cups of beef stock and 2 cups of Guinness over the ingredients.  If you find that you need more broth, add a little more Guinness.

Cook on low heat in the crockpot for 8-10 hours.  I tried to test it out after about 6-7 hours on low...and it wasn't ready.  So, make sure you give it lots of time.

I'm sure I'll be eating this stew for days.  The good news is, it tastes even better after sitting in the refrigerator for a day or two.  Enjoy!!