Best Irish Stew Recipe for a Rich Deeply Flavoured Traditional Irish Beef Stew
This is the best Irish stew recipe for a deeply-flavoured classic Irish stew with a rich gravy thanks to an easy roux – and half a bottle of Shiraz! Ireland’s national dish, a traditional Irish stew is popularly made with lamb, but historically, beef, considered ‘winter food’ was used. What can’t be substituted: root vegetables such as onions, garlic, carrots, potatoes, and turnips. Take your pick!
Servings: 4
Calories: 679kcal
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 kg topside beef cut into 3cm cubes
- 30 ml Worcestershire sauce
- 30 ml virgin olive oil
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- 8 cloves of garlic peeled and pounded a little in a mortar and pestle
- 150 g smoked bacon diced
- 10 small purple shallots or baby onions peeled
- 3 large carrots sliced into rounds, halves or quarters, roughly the same size
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1 tsp freshly ground cracked black pepper
- 1 tbsp fresh thyme chopped
- 1 tbsp fresh rosemary chopped
- 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 500 ml full-bodied red wine such as Shiraz
- 500 ml beef stock
- 40 g butter
- 40 g flour
Garnish
- 1 tbsp fresh celery leaves or flat leaf parsley roughly chopped
Instructions
- Marinate the beef cubes in 30 ml Worcestershire sauce and 30 ml olive oil in zip-lock bags or a bowl for 1 hour, ensuring the beef is completely covered in the marinade.
- While the beef is marinating, in a flat-bottomed wok, skillet or frying pan over medium-high heat fry the lightly pounded garlic cloves in two tablespoons of olive oil until golden and fragrant, then transfer to your Dutch oven or heavy stew pot, then fry the bacon in the same oil and transfer to the stew pot.
- Top up the oil with another two tablespoons of olive oil, turn the heat to high, then fry the vegetables for a few minutes until blistered, one ingredient at a time, seasoning each with a pinch of sea salt and some freshly ground cracked black pepper, then transfer to the Dutch oven or stew pot.
- Tip the beef cubes and marinade into the same pan and sear over high heat until brown, then transfer to the pot, along with any remaining marinade.
- Add the red wine, beef stock, Worcestershire sauce, and herbs to the pot, stir to combine everything, and simmer on low heat, covered, for an hour or two until the beef is tender. The longer you can leave the stew to simmer the better; stir occasionally to ensure it’s not sticking.
- When the beef is tender, with a large ladle transfer 3-4 scoops of the stew liquid to a small pot and over high heat bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.
- In a small frying pan over medium heat, make the roux by melting the butter, then adding the flour, one tablespoon at a time, stirring until the flour is fully dissolved, and continuing to stir for a couple of minutes.
- Gradually transfer the roux to the small pot of boiled stew juices, whisking to combine well to create a thick full-flavoured gravy. Add this to the Dutch oven/stew pot and stir to incorporate.
- Taste the stew and adjust the seasoning to your palate, then garnish with fresh thyme or rosemary, sprinkle with chopped fresh celery leaves or flat-leaf parsley, and serve with mashed potatoes or dumplings.
Nutrition
Calories: 679kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 41g | Fat: 41g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 22g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 142mg | Sodium: 1126mg | Potassium: 1264mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 5419IU | Vitamin C: 11mg | Calcium: 99mg | Iron: 6mg