Irish Stew with Lamb

If you are looking to re-create the national dish of Ireland, try out this recipe for Irish stew!

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Irish Stew with Lamb

If you are looking to re-create the national dish of Ireland, try out this recipe for Irish stew!

Ingredients

• 2 tsp sunflower oil
• 6 oz smoky bacon (cut into 1/8” cubes)
• 2.5 lbs lamb meat (for stewing, cleaned & cut into large 1.5” chunks)
• ¼ cup white wine
• 4 Tbsp butter
• 4 large white onions (medium dice)
• 4 carrots (cut into ½” slices)
• 10 sprigs fresh thyme
• 3 bay leaves
• 32 oz lamb stock
• 4-5 Yukon gold potatoes (washed, peeled, cubed)
• 1/3 cup pearl barley
• 2 tsp salt
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper (to taste)
• 4 scallions (finely sliced, as garnish)

Instructions 

• Heat the sunflower oil in a large saute pan.
• Add the bacon and cook on medium heat until most of the fat is rendered from the bacon and the bacon is cooked, but not cooked until crispy.
• Remove the bacon from the pan and salt the chunks of lamb.
• Cook the lamb in the saute pan in the bacon fat on high heat until lightly browned.
• Remove and reserve the browned lamb on a plate.
• Turn off the saute pan and add the white wine, scraping the browned bits from the pan.
• Pour those juices with the white wine onto the lamb.
• Add 4 Tbsp butter to pan and cook the onions on medium heat for 20 minutes, or until onions are tender.
• Add the carrots and cook for an additional 10 minutes.
• Add the thyme, bay leaves, lamb stock, and lamb and bring to a gentle simmer.
• Cook the lamb stew for an additional 30 minutes.
• After 30 minutes, add the pearl barley and cubed potatoes.
• Cook for an additional 60 minutes on low heat
• Until the lamb chunks are fork-tender and easily pierced by a fork.
• Season with salt & freshly ground black pepper.
• Serve hot, with finely chopped scallions as garnish.

Notes

You can use cheaper cuts of lamb for the stewing meat.
This stew tastes better re-heated the next day.