When I got home, I was ready for something warm and comforting, so I made Irish Stew. I have made several different types of stews and I must say this is the best I have made so far! Though I did have a slight mishap making it. You see, I had gotten the bacon cooked and the beef browned and added the onions and carrots and ingredients for the broth. All I had left was to season it with some salt and pepper. I buy salt and pepper in bulk so that I always have it on hand. My big pepper jar has a shaker lid on the top so I was just shaking some pepper into my big pot of stew when all of a sudden the lid came off and mounds of pepper poured into my stew! After recovering from my shock, I quickly grabbed a spoon and started spooning pepper out of the stew. I spooned and scrapped and wound up with a pretty large pile of pepper, and so I thought maybe...just maybe...the stew will still be okay. I added another can of broth to dilute the pepper taste a little and let it simmer a bit. I tasted it to see how peppery it was, and just about chocked. The pepper was so strong my mouth and throat burned, and I started coughing. I added several cups of water to the stew, still attempting to mask the pepper taste. But after another coughing fit brought on by a teaspoon of broth I decided to start over. I ladled out all of the meat and veggies and started to broth over. Surprisingly the stew still turned out quite delicious...though it was still a little spicy. Here is the recipe, minus my adaptations due to the pepper fiasco. (With all the excitement, I forgot to take a picture )
Irish Stew
from Penzeys
from Penzeys
Prep time: 15 min.
Cooking time: 1 hour, 45 min.
Serves: 6-8
Cooking time: 1 hour, 45 min.
Serves: 6-8
Ingredients:
'1 Tbs oil
2 strips bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2 lbs. stewing beef, cut in 1-inch pieces
1 large onion, chopped
2 Tbs flour
2 carrots sliced
12 large pearl onions
1 1/2 cups beef stock
1 bottle dark stout beer (I used Guinness)
2 Tbs dark brown sugar
2 Tbs red wine vinegar
1 Tbs Bouquet Garni (I substituted dried herbs: 1 bay leaf, a couple tsp. thyme and parsley)
1/2-1 tsp. salt, to taste
1/2 tsp. ground pepper
6-8 cooked small red potatoes, cut into large pieces, for serving
Directions:
In a large pot, heat the oil. Add the bacon and cook until crisp. Remove the bacon and drain on paper towel. Do not discard the bacon drippings. Return the pot with the drippings to the heat. Add the beef and brown evenly; remove the beef and set aside. Add the chopped onion and flour to the pot and cook for 2-3 minutes; be careful not the let it burn. Return the beef and bacon to the pot and add the rest of the ingredients except the potatoes. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 90 minutes. Taste and add more seasonings if desired. Add a potato to each diner's bowl and ladle stew over it.
'1 Tbs oil
2 strips bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2 lbs. stewing beef, cut in 1-inch pieces
1 large onion, chopped
2 Tbs flour
2 carrots sliced
12 large pearl onions
1 1/2 cups beef stock
1 bottle dark stout beer (I used Guinness)
2 Tbs dark brown sugar
2 Tbs red wine vinegar
1 Tbs Bouquet Garni (I substituted dried herbs: 1 bay leaf, a couple tsp. thyme and parsley)
1/2-1 tsp. salt, to taste
1/2 tsp. ground pepper
6-8 cooked small red potatoes, cut into large pieces, for serving
Directions:
In a large pot, heat the oil. Add the bacon and cook until crisp. Remove the bacon and drain on paper towel. Do not discard the bacon drippings. Return the pot with the drippings to the heat. Add the beef and brown evenly; remove the beef and set aside. Add the chopped onion and flour to the pot and cook for 2-3 minutes; be careful not the let it burn. Return the beef and bacon to the pot and add the rest of the ingredients except the potatoes. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 90 minutes. Taste and add more seasonings if desired. Add a potato to each diner's bowl and ladle stew over it.
