St. Patrick's day Irish stew recipe

March 15, 9:24 AMPasco County Food ExaminerSusan Slade

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Irish stew.  Wikipedia

I was brought up on Irish stew, in England, because it was much cheaper to make than the English version. Irish stew is made from the middle or scrag end neck of lamb or mutton.

We were so poor that we had the scrag end of neck. It cost just pennies compared to the better cuts of meat. The problem with this cut was that it is so fatty, but the good thing, it had lots of flavor.

The Old Fashioned Irish stew.

• 1 lb. of scrag end neck or middle cut of lamb or mutton.
• 2 large onions.
• 1 and a half lb. of potatoes.
• Half a pint of stock or water.
• Seasoning.
• Parsley to garnish.

Cut the meat into approximately one-inch cubes. In a saucepan put the meat, sliced onions, and half of the sliced potatoes. Pour on the stock or water, and seasoning. Bring this to the boil, so that the scum from the meat appears on the top of the water, remove this before putting the lid on the saucepan. On a low heat, simmer the stew for one and a half hours.

Then take the remaining half of the sliced potatoes, and add them to the stew. Cook for a further 40-45 minutes.

Taste the stew and if necessary add more seasoning. Place in a serving bowl and garnish with the chopped parsley.

This should serve 4 people.

That is the basic Irish stew that we had in our household. I know a lot of Irish pubs still use lamb in their stew, but the majority of people buy beef, as it is cheaper, and prefer the taste.

In my up to date recipe I use stewing beef, carrots, onions, celery, and either Oxo cubes or Bisto for the gravy. Both of these can be found in British stores. If you really want a rich taste in your Irish stew, then add some stout, which is a rich black beer. My mother loved to drink one a day.

Like British food, then you may like to read Yorkshire pudding, roast potatoes, and Shepherd's pie for $1.50 a portion.