Recipe for Beef Stew – A Traditional Approach
This recipe for beef stew relies on the Irish tradition of using lamb instead of beef. The modern day use of beef is more based on rising meat costs and the Americanization of this hearty Irish favourite. Though beef can still be used, this particular method utilizes the more flavourful and fatty lamb meat for a more Wintery dish (if you don’t want to use lamb, simply substitute the same quantity of beef).
Recipe for Beef Stew – Ingredients
You will require:
- 2.5 lbs (1.1 kg) lean boneless stewing lamb
- 1 tbsp (15 mL) oil
- 3 tbsp (45 mL) butter
- 3/4 cup (175 mL) finely chopped onions
- 1/4 cup (60 mL) all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp (5 mL) salt
- 1/2 tsp (2 mL) freshly ground pepper
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tsp (5 mL) crushed thyme
- 4 cups (1 L) lightly salted beef stock.
- 5-8 small potatoes
- 5-8 onions
- 5-8 medium carrots
- 1/4 medium yellow turnip (rutabaga/swede)
- 3 medium parsnips
- 3 canned tomatoes, plus 1/2 cup liquid
- 1 cup (250 mL) frozen peas
- 1/2 cup (125 mL) chopped fresh parsley
Recipe for Beef Stew – Process
Preparation couldn’t be more simple:
Cut lamb into same-size cubes (roughly 1-inch in size). Heat the oil and half the butter together in a large pan and add the meat until the bottom of the pan is covered. Do not add too much meat at once! You will crowd the lamb and make it tough. It is important to develop a nice brown crust on the outside of the meat – this is secret to a great recipe for beef stew.
Set all the meat aside once you have browned it. Melt the rest of the butter and add the chopped onion. Sautee the onion in the butter and fond (the brown pieces of lamb in the bottom of the pan). Stir in all the flour and continue cooking over medium heat until flour is golden and smells like cooked pie crust.
You may now add the meat back into the saucepan and add all seasonings (pepper, bay leaf, & thyme) and all the beef stock. At this point, you will want to use a wooden spoon or similar utensil to scrape all the brown fond from the bottom of the pan into the broth and other ingredients. Simmer while partially covered until the lamb is fork-tender which should take about 2 hours on medium heat. At this point you can proceed to add the vegetables.
**Tip: Another secret to a great recipe for beef stew is allowing the simmered broth/lamb mixture to cool, even refrigerating overnight. This allows the flavours to more adequately develop and ultimately result in a more flavourful stew.
Peel potatoes, onions, carrots, turnip and parsnips. Leave the potatoes large and similarly sized and keep the onion thick and hearty too. Cut carrots, rutabaga and parsnips into equal size cubes.
Chop tomatoes coarsely since they will only disintegrate if too small.
Add all vegetables to the broth and cook on a med-high heat for 30-45 mins of until preferred tenderness. Add peas in the last 5 mins and finally taste for salt/pepper. Serve hot with freshly chopped parsley for garnish.
There you go! A traditional and beef-less recipe for beef stew.
