Irish Beef Stew is a traditional Northern Irish recipe for a classic stew of beef, bacon, onions, mushrooms and carrots in a wine and stock base flavoured with herbs and thickened with a flour and butter roux. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic Northern Irish version of: Northern Irish Beef Stew.
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Just to show that Irish stew is not just about lamb, here is a classic Northern Irish version that uses beef as the main meat.
Ingredients:
650g stewing beef, cut into cubes (personally I use shin for this dish)
175g streaky bacon, chopped
3 tbsp olive oil
12 pearl onions, peeled
18 button mushrooms, wiped clean and with stems neatly trimmed
3 carrots, scraped and quartered
salt and freshly-ground black pepper
1 tbsp thyme leaves, chopped
2 tbsp parsley, chopped
10 garlic cloves, grated
450ml red wine
450ml beef stock
50g butter
50g plain flour
Method:
Heat the olive oil in a flame-proof casserole dish. Add the beef and bacon (you may need to do this in batches) and fry until golden brown all over. When done, remove the meat from the pan and set aside in a bowl.
Add the onions to the pan and toss until browned. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside. Now add the mushrooms and fry until golden brown. Again remove with a slotted spoon and set aside. Finally add the carrots to the pan and again toss until browned.
Return all the ingredients to the pan and stir in the herbs and garlic. Pour over the red wine and stock (there should be enough to just cover all the ingredients, if not, add water). Bring to a simmer, cover and cook gently for between 60 and 90 minutes, or until the meat is tender and the vegetables are cooked.
Mix the butter and flour together to form a smooth paste. When the meat and vegetables are done, remove with a slotted spoon and set aside. Whisk the roux into the pan juices, a teaspoon at a time. Bring to a simmer and cook until thickened. Now bring the pan juices to a boil and return the meat and vegetables to the pan. Allow to heat through, adjust the seasonings to taste.
Serve garnished with parsley and accompanied by champ.
