Traditional Irish lamb stew, also called mutton stew, uses specific ingredients, equipment and a specific cooking process. While the key difference in the traditional version is that you do not brown the meat before cooking, browning adds flavor and reduces some of the fat content in the meat. For this reason you may want to consider varying from a traditional recipe, for although lamb is a good source of iron, zinc and vitamin B12, it can be fatty.
Step 1
Peel and then chop the onions into 1/2-inch pieces with a sharp kitchen knife.
Step 2
Heat the oil in an ovenproof Dutch oven over medium heat on your stove top, add the onions and cook them for about 5 minutes. Turn off the heat when the onions start to soften and are not yet brown.
Step 3
Trim the excess fat from about 3 lb. of lamb stew meat using a sharp kitchen knife. Add the meat to the Dutch oven and sprinkle the thyme and black pepper over the meat.
Step 4
Peel and slice the red potatoes into 1/4-inch thick slices and cut each Russet potato in half. Add the potatoes and stir to mix the ingredients.
Step 5
Preheat your oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Pour the broth or beer into the pot, cover and cook the lamb stew for 1 hour.
Step 6
Peel and slice the carrots into 1-inch thick diagonal slices.
Step 7
Remove the pot from your oven and stir in the sliced carrots. Return the pot to your oven and continue cooking for another 45 minutes to 1 hour. Then use a fork to remove one or two pieces of meat from the stew and check, using a meat thermometer, to ensure the meat is 140 to 145 degrees Fahrenheit. When the meat is fully cooked, remove the pot from your oven.
Step 8
Let the stew sit, uncovered, for 5 to 10 minutes and then skim off any fat that has accumulated on its surface with a large, shallow spoon.
Tips and Warnings
- If you decide to brown the meat before cooking, heat 1 to 2 tbsp. olive oil in the Dutch oven or in a skillet and brown the meat for 5 to 7 minutes, until it is dark brown on all sides. Transfer the meat from the pan to paper towels to drain, pour off all but 1 to 2 tbsp. of fat and proceed to cook the onions before returning the meat to the pan. Traditional Irish lamb stew uses both boiling and baking potatoes to achieve the right texture in the stew. Boiling potatoes have a higher moisture content and as they break down during cooking, help thicken the stew. In contrast, baking potatoes have a low moisture content and retain their shape and texture during cooking (Reference 1). If you do not have an oven proof Dutch oven, brown the onions in a skillet and cook the stew in a roasting pan that has a cover.
Things You'll Need
- Kitchen knife
- Cutting board
- 2 to 3 white onions
- 2 tbsp. olive oil
- Dutch oven, ovenproof
- 3 lb. lamb stew meat
- 1 1/2 to 2 tsp. fresh thyme or ¾ to 1 tsp. dried thyme
- 1/2 tsp. black pepper
- Vegetable peeler
- 2 red potatoes
- 4 Russet potatoes
- 3 cups low sodium chicken broth or dark beer
- 4 to 6 carrots
- Meat thermometer
- Straining spoon
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