It may be a month off yet, but, hey, St. Patrick's Day calls for good food:
Stobhach Gaelach
(Irish Stew)
* 1/4 cup olive oil
* 1 1/4 lbs. stew beef or lamb (OR both), cut into 1" pcs.
* 6 lg. garlic cloves, minced or crushed
* 6 c. beef stock or broth
* 1 c. Guinness
* 1 c. red wine (Burgundy works well, as does any dry red.)
* 2 tbsp. tomato paste
* 1 tbsp. sugar
* 1 tbsp. dried thyme
* 2 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
* 2 bay leaves
* 2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter
* 3 lbs. red potatoes (7 to 8 cups), cut into 1/2" pieces
* 1 lb. shelled green peas (Do NOT call them English peas! Btw, the peas are optional.)
* 1 lg. onion, chopped
* 2 c. 1/2" pieces peeled carrots (I cut mine into 1/4" slices.)
* salt and pepper to taste
* 2 tbsp. chopped parsley (optional)
Heat olive oil in lg. pot over medium-high heat. Add meat and sauté until brown on all sides, about five minutes. Add garlic and sauté for one minute, taking care not to burn the garlic. Add beef stock, Guinness, red wine, tomato paste, sugar, thyme, Worcestershire sauce and bay leaves. Stir to combine.
Bring mixture to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, then cover and simmer for one hour, stirring occasionally.
While the meat and stock are simmering together, melt butter over medium heat. Add potatoes, onion and carrots. Sauté vegetables until golden-brown -- about twenty minutes. Set aside until the ingredients in step one have simmered for one full hour.
Add vegetables. Simmer uncovered until vegetables and beef are very tender, about forty-five minutes. Discard bay leaves.
If you wish to thicken the stew further, make a cornstarch and cold water slurry. Add slurry very slowly to the hot stew. (You can also achieve further thickness by mashing up some of the cooked potatoes and then adding them back into the stew.)
Salt and pepper to taste.
n.b.: This stew is best prepared up to two days prior to serving.
Serves four to six.
Stobhach Gaelach
(Irish Stew)
* 1/4 cup olive oil
* 1 1/4 lbs. stew beef or lamb (OR both), cut into 1" pcs.
* 6 lg. garlic cloves, minced or crushed
* 6 c. beef stock or broth
* 1 c. Guinness
* 1 c. red wine (Burgundy works well, as does any dry red.)
* 2 tbsp. tomato paste
* 1 tbsp. sugar
* 1 tbsp. dried thyme
* 2 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
* 2 bay leaves
* 2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter
* 3 lbs. red potatoes (7 to 8 cups), cut into 1/2" pieces
* 1 lb. shelled green peas (Do NOT call them English peas! Btw, the peas are optional.)
* 1 lg. onion, chopped
* 2 c. 1/2" pieces peeled carrots (I cut mine into 1/4" slices.)
* salt and pepper to taste
* 2 tbsp. chopped parsley (optional)
Heat olive oil in lg. pot over medium-high heat. Add meat and sauté until brown on all sides, about five minutes. Add garlic and sauté for one minute, taking care not to burn the garlic. Add beef stock, Guinness, red wine, tomato paste, sugar, thyme, Worcestershire sauce and bay leaves. Stir to combine.
Bring mixture to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, then cover and simmer for one hour, stirring occasionally.
While the meat and stock are simmering together, melt butter over medium heat. Add potatoes, onion and carrots. Sauté vegetables until golden-brown -- about twenty minutes. Set aside until the ingredients in step one have simmered for one full hour.
Add vegetables. Simmer uncovered until vegetables and beef are very tender, about forty-five minutes. Discard bay leaves.
If you wish to thicken the stew further, make a cornstarch and cold water slurry. Add slurry very slowly to the hot stew. (You can also achieve further thickness by mashing up some of the cooked potatoes and then adding them back into the stew.)
Salt and pepper to taste.
n.b.: This stew is best prepared up to two days prior to serving.
Serves four to six.
Nevertheless, I'll make some just for me 
- thanks tvlamboy!
