The Irish in Me

Rises to the surface when we have stormy gray days. I'm in the mood for stew.

You'll need...

A few ingredients. Beef stew meat, mushrooms, potatoes, onions, fresh garlic, and carrots. I also include a few dried peppers.

Then, place one of the above on the stove.

After the Dutch oven is hot add some olive oil.  Once in a while I use bacon fat...but, olive oil is healthier, its not as tasty as the bacon grease but it makes my wife and doctor happy.

As the oil heats prep your onions, garlic and potatoes. We'll slice the mushrooms and include them last.

Flour your stew meat and place in the hot oil in batches. Do not crowd the beef. You want to brown it not steam it. I use two pounds of beef. Brown and remove.

As you remove the meat, season. I use 'Slap Ya Mama,' but any good Creole seasoning is fine. I also sprinkle it with a bit of Kosher salt.

When you've finished browning the meat throw in the onions and cook until translucent. Then the garlic. The natural juices of the onion will partially deglaze the pot. In effect we're making a rue.

Above, after the onions are to your liking slowly return the meat to the mixture, increase the heat and pour about one cup of good beef stock and stir. It will thicken. Careful with the stock. Add small amounts as you begin to build the stew.

First the potatoes, then carrots. I slice my mushrooms and add them after all other ingredients are in place. Season again. Now bring to a gentle boil...again, easy on the stock. You want it thick.

Above, as I waited for the stew to reach a boil I ran outside and clipped a couple of sprigs of rosemary. I like the flavor it gives the stew. Your taste may vary...

After the stew reaches a gentle boil reduce the heat and simmer for several hours.

Serve with a good loaf of French bread and your favorite beverage...nothing like a good stew on a cool windy and rainy day.

Enjoy.

Stephen

The Irish In Me

wanted an Irish stew for dinner. Ran to the market for the ingredients and now the house smells great. If you are one without patience, never mind. It takes time to build a proper Irish stew. It isn't complicated but it will burn an hour of your time.

I use a two or three pound beef roast, thinly sliced, instead of stew meat. Aside from the fact I'm frugal I believe the roast gives the best flavor.

A proper Irish stew consist of four basic parts - the beef, potatoes, onion, and carrots. If you insist dump in a few mushrooms and garlic, it won't hurt.

Coat the beef in flour and brown. Now for those of you in California you might want to find another blog because here comes the scary part....brown in bacon drippings. During the process I also use a half pound of butter, real butter. For New York City residents, that's two sticks. Brown in batches. Don't crowd the pot or you'll just steam the meat, not good. Like I said it takes time.

Above, the beef after its been browned. When you're finished with this process drop in the onions and cook until translucent. Add a touch of butter and beef stock and deglaze the pan. Season to taste. I also like a bit of Cajun seasoning, but that's just me.

Above, all the parts happily mingled. Easy on the beef stock. You want a stew, thick, not a soup. Now, bring to a gentle boil, reduce the fire and simmer for at least six hours. Serve with a good cornbread.

Enjoy.

Stephen 

An Answer for Rose

Good morning, my friends.  Rose from Simple Everyday Living, http://simpleeverydayliving.blogspot.com/, asked me for the recipe for my Cajun Irish stew I built last Monday morning.

Rose, the simple fact is I seldom use a given recipe for this stew as I've been making it for well over thirty years. Guess you could say I just kinda throw the sucker together. It takes a bit of time since I almost always make a Roux when cooking stews. I love Cajun and Creole cooking methods. So, with that said, let's get 'er done.

Now, please understand I will not give set amounts, I cook by feel unless I'm using a recipe for a dish new to me.

Take a good cast iron pot, a large one. I favor Le Cresuet, but any good cast iron pot or heavy stainless steel (if the pot can't inflect bodily damage throw it away) will work. Add about two tablespoons of bacon grease and set the flame to medium high.

I use about a three pound pork roast but beef will suffice. Season to taste, and I mean season. I like to sprinkle with Cajun seasoning, salt and pepper. Any brand name will work.
Then coat with flour, and brown all surfaces of the roast. A good pecan brown, and don't forget the ends. Set aside to rest.
In the drippings of the pot add four or five tablespoons of the flour you used to coat the roast, watch your heat and adjust as necessary. Stir the Roux continually until it reaches the color of a light chocolate or a pecan, the deeper the color, the better the flavor. WATCH the heat, do not burn the Roux. Remember, stir....
A good heat resistant spatula works best for this operation.

 
Click this link for professional instructions on making a great Roux. http://www.deepsouthdish.com/  

Take two large onions (I use Georgia sweet onions) and cut fine, add three to four large cloves of garlic, and put the onions and garlic into the Roux, when it's reached the color you prefer, stir until soft.
Our next step involves stock, your choice, but I prefer chicken stock. Slowly, while stirring the Roux and onion mixture, pour small amounts of stock into the pot....stir, stir, stir.  It will thicken. (And Rose, I know you know how to do all this. Just trying to help the novices.)
When the Roux mixture has reached a little boil, reduce heat and add the following in no special order.

The pork roast, keep it whole for now.
2-3 lbs of little red potatoes
2 38oz (or 34, forget what size they come in) cans of tomatoes, crushed.
Chopped carrots, any amount you prefer, just watch the level of the pot.
Adjust seasonings.

I like my stews to simmer for at least six (6) hours. I have a gas range so I just add a simmer plate beneath. Allow the stew to just form tiny bubbles, a long slow simmer. Near the end, take a utensil and gently separate the pork roast into three or four sections, adjust seasonings to your taste. This stew is good served over rice, but I like it best served in a bowl with some classic Southern Corn Bread.

As you can see I'm not a food writer. I'm sure the sweet lady at http://bywayofthebay.blogspot.com/, written by The Kitchen Witch can treat this recipe much better than I. By the way, try her site. This sweet lady can cook.



Hope this helped, Rose. Enjoy

Stephen