Traditional Irish Beef and Guinness Stew with Colcannon and Irish Soda Bread
Irish Stew is the National Dish of Ireland and it is traditionally serwed with Colcannon and Irish soda bread. The stew can also be made with pie pastry and I have made both variations here below.
Ingredients
6 ounces bacon ,diced
2 pounds beef chuck
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 medium-large yellow onions ,chopped
3 cloves garlic ,minced
4 medium
firm potatoes cut in 1-inch pieces
2 large
carrots ,chopped in 1/2 inch pieces
2 stalks
celery ,chopped in 1/2 inch pieces
1 large
parsnip ,chopped into 1/2 inch pieces
1 bottle (1
pint 16 oz) Guinness Extra Stout
1 cup strong beef broth
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup tomato paste
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 bay leaves
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
Cut the
beef across the grain into into 1-inch pieces. Mix flour salt and pepper and
toss the beef in it to coat the pieces thoroughly.
Set aside.
Fry the
bacon in a Dutch oven or heavy pot until done then remove it with a slotted
spoon, leaving the bacon drippings in the pan.
Working
in batches and being careful not to overcrowd the pieces, generously brown the
beef on all sides.
Transfer
the beef to a plate and repeat until all the beef is browned.
Add the
onions and fry them, adding more oil if necessary, until lightly browned, about
10 minutes.
Add the
garlic and cook for another minute.
Add all the
vegetables except potatoes and cook for another 5 minutes.
Add the
Guinness and bring it to a rapid boil, deglazing the bottom of the pot
(scraping up the browned bits on the bottom). Boil for 2
minutes.
Return
the beef and bacon to the pot along with the remaining ingredients and stir to
combine.
Bring it
to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for 2 1/2 hours.
After two hours simmering add the potatoes to cook the last 30 minutes. Add
salt and pepper to taste.
Serve
with some crusty country bread or Irish soda bread. This stew is even better
the next day.
Colcannon
Ingredients:
4 pounds moderately
starchy potatoes peeled and cut into large chunks
4 slices thick-cut bacon, diced
2 cups chopped kale
2 cups shredded cabbage
1 medium
leek, chopped, thoroughly rinsed and drained
1/2 cup quality
unsalted butter (1 stick)
1/2 cup heavy cream, warmed
1/2 cup whole milk, warmed
3 green onions, chopped
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Directions:
Fry the
bacon in a large pan until crispy then use a slotted spoon to transfer it to a
plate until ready to use. Leave about 2 tablespoons of bacon
grease in the pan.
Add the
chopped greens to the pan and saute them in the bacon grease until soft, 7-8
minutes.
While
the greens are cooking, start the potatoes boiling. Boil the potatoes in
salted water until soft. Thoroughly drain all water from the potatoes.
While
the potatoes are still piping hot, add 2/3 of the butter, warm milk and cream. Use
a manually masher to mash the potatoes.
Add the
cooked greens, bacon, green onions. Stir to combine. Add the salt and pepper.
Taste and add more salt according to preference.
Spoon
into a serving bowl, make a small well in the center and add the remaining 1/3
butter in the well. Garnish with the reserved bacon and green onions. Serve
immediately.
Serving
with Traditional Irish Stew you can put the Colcannon into the bowl of stew.
Delicious!
Irish Soda Bread
A good
old fashioned soda bread with just the basic ingredients. Buttermilk gives this
crusty loaf a good flavor. The best Irish soda bread around!
Servings:
20
Ingredients:
4 cups all-purpose
flour
4
tablespoons white sugar
1
teaspoon baking soda
1
tablespoon baking powder
½
teaspoon salt
½ cup
margarine, softened
1 cup
buttermilk
1 egg
¼ cup
butter, melted
¼ cup
buttermilk
Directions:
Preheat
oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Lightly grease a large baking sheet.
In a
large bowl, mix together flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt and
margarine. Stir in 1 cup of buttermilk and egg. Turn dough out onto a lightly
floured surface and knead slightly. Form dough into a round and place on
prepared baking sheet. In a small bowl, combine melted butter with 1/4 cup
buttermilk; brush loaf with this mixture. Use a sharp knife to cut an 'X' into
the top of the loaf.
Bake in
preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out
clean, 45 to 50 minutes. Check for doneness after 30 minutes. You may continue
to brush the loaf with the butter mixture while it bakes.
If you
don´t have buttermilk you can make your own with milk and some lemonjuice.
Mom’s Lard Pie Crust
Ingredients:
1-1/2
cups all-purpose flour
Pinch
salt
1/2 cup
lard
3 to 4
tablespoons cold water
Directions:
In a
bowl, combine flour and salt. Cut in lard until mixture resembles coarse
crumbs. Sprinkle in water, a tablespoon at a time, until pastry holds together.
Shape into a ball; chill for 30 minutes. On a lightly floured surface, roll
dough to 1/8-in. thickness. Transfer to a 10-in. pie plate. Flute edges; fill
and make a lid with pastry. Decorate if you wish and make a small hole in the
middle. Bake in preheated oven at 350 Fahrenheit ( 175 - 180 Celsius degrees )
for about 30-40 minutes, until golden
brown.
