Irish Guinness Stew with Lamb
Ingredients
8 cups lamb stock, divided
1 cup pearl barley
3lb lamb shoulder cubed
Salt and pepper to taste
3Tblsp oil
½ cup unbleached all purpose flour
4 stalks celery chopped
2 large onions chopped
3 cloves garlic minced
3 large carrots peeled and chopped
12 ounces Guinness stout or (mixture of stout and ale)
1 bunch each of fresh parsley, thyme, rosemary
3 large potatoes peeled and cubed
2 tsp cornstarch
4 tsp water
Preparation
In medium saucepan set on medium heat, bring 3 cups of stock to a boil; add barley. Reduce heat to low and gently simmer 20 minutes. Set aside.
Pat meat dry with paper towels. Season with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a 6 -quart Dutch oven. Brown the meat over medium high heat. Remove the meat from the pot. Sprinkle flour over the meat, shaking off the excess; set aside.
Add celery, onions, garlic, and carrots to the pot, cooking until soft and translucent. Add Guinness and deglaze the pot, scraping all the bits on the bottom and sides of the pot.
Chop the leaves of the parsley reserving the stems. Tie the parsley stems, rosemary, and thyme into a bundle and drop into the pot. Chop some thyme and rosemary and set aside.
Return the meat to the pot. Add the barley, potatoes and enough broth to cover the meat and vegetables. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat to very low and simmer 2-3 hours or until the meat is fork tender. Stir occasionally, adding remaining stock when necessary.
Check seasonings and adjust to taste. Stir in chopped parsley, thyme, and rosemary. Mix cornstarch in water and stir. Add to stew and stir to incorporate. Cook over low heat for 5-10 minutes or until stew thickens.Â
Ladle into bowls. Serve with crusty bread.