Best Irish Stew with Guinness Recipe (Lamb or Beef)
Succulent leg of lamb (or beef chuck roast), root vegetables, and a savory stock flavored with Guinness stout. The most delicious version of a traditional, rustic Irish stew!
Best Irish Stew with Guinness Recipe Ever
8
servings30
minutes2
hours40
minutesIngredients
2-3 lbs Boneless leg of lamb (or beef chuck roast)
4 strips Thick-cut bacon
1 Leek
3 ribs Celery
3 Carrots
2 Parsnips
1 Yellow onion
1 1/2 lbs Red-skinned potatoes
4 sprigs Fresh thyme
2 sprigs Fresh rosemary
2 Bay leaves
2 cups Beef stock, divided
2 cups Guinness stout, divided
2 cups Frozen pearl onions
1 cup Frozen green peas
1/4 cup Fresh parsley
1 1/2 Tablespoons Butter
1 1/2 Tablespoons All-purpose flour
1-2 Tablespoons Browning sauce (like Kitchen Bouquet) – Optional
1 Tablespoon Olive oil
Kosher salt
Black pepper
Directions
- Peel and chop the carrots and parsnips into approximately 1 inch pieces. Chop the onion and celery. Finely chop the parsley. Trim off the root end and leafy dark green parts of the leek. Slice the leek longways and gently rinse between the layers with a faucet. Chop the leek halves into 1 inch slices. Peel the potatoes and cut them into 1 1/2 pieces, and place them in a bowl of cold water.
- Trim excess areas of fat and any silver skin from lamb or beef and discard. Then cut the meat into 1 inch pieces. Chop the bacon strips into 1 inch pieces.
- Generously season the lamb or beef chunks with Kosher salt and black pepper.
- In a very large Dutch oven or pit, brown the chopped bacon over medium high heat until almost crispy. Then remove cooked bacon and set aside, leaving the bacon grease in the pot.
- In two or three batches, brown meat chunks in Dutch oven until there is a light crust all over. Turn the chunks over a couple times to ensure browning on all sides.
- Remove all meat and set aside. Add olive oil.
- Into the pot, add leeks, celery, onion, parsnips and carrots. Sprinkle with 2 teaspoons of Kosher salt. Cook over medium heat for 5-6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until vegetables begin to take on some color and onions and celery have softened.
- Add the lamb and bacon back in. Strain the cut up potatoes and stir them into the pot.
- Place the bay leaves, rosemary, and thyme in a spice steeping bag and add to pot.
- Stir in 1 cup of beef stock, and 1 cup of Guinness. Heat just to boiling. Then place a lid tightly on the pot and transfer to the oven. Cook in the oven for 1 1/2 hours at 350 degrees F.
- Then stir in the pearl onions, put the lid back on, and bake for 45 more minutes.
- Stir in the other cup of beef stock and the other cup of Guinness. Heat to a simmer on stove.
- Combine the flour and butter in a small bowl. Mash together with the back of a fork very thoroughly to form a paste. Once stew is simmering, stir in the butter mixture until it dissolves into the stew.
- Stir in the browning sauce, if using. Add frozen peas and parsley and stir to combine. Simmer 5 more minutes, and then serve.
