Irish Stew
By America's Test KitchenPublished on March 14, 2013
Yield
Serves 6
Ingredients
4 ½ pounds lamb shoulder chops (blade or round bone), each 1 to 1½ inches thick, trimmed, meat removed from bones and cut into 1½-inch pieces (see illustrations below and note above)3 tablespoons vegetable oil 3 onions (about 2½ pounds), chopped coarse (about 5 cups)¼ cup unbleached all-purpose flour 3 cups water 1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes (about 6 medium), peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes¼ cup minced fresh parsley leaves
Before You Begin
Try to buy the shoulder chops from the butcher. In most supermarkets, lamb shoulder chops are thin, often about 1/2 inch thick. At this thickness, the stew meat is too insubstantial. Ideally, we liked chops cut 1 1/2 inches thick, but 1-inch chops will suffice.
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 300 degrees. Cut meat from bones and reserve bones. Trim meat of excess fat and cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes. Season meat generously with salt and pepper.
- Heat 1 tablespoon oil in large ovenproof Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering, about 2 minutes. Add half of meat to pot so that individual pieces are close together but not touching. Cook, without moving, until sides touching pot are well-browned, 2 to 3 minutes. Using tongs, turn each piece and continue cooking until most sides are well-browned, about 5 minutes longer. Transfer meat to medium bowl, add another 1 tablespoon oil to pot, and swirl to coat pan bottom. Brown remaining lamb; transfer meat to bowl and set aside.
- Reduce heat to medium, add remaining tablespoon oil, and swirl to coat pan bottom. Add onions and 1/4 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring frequently and vigorously, scraping bottom of pot with wooden spoon to loosen browned bits, until onions have browned, about 8 minutes. Add flour and stir until onions are evenly coated, 1 to 2 minutes.
- Stir in 1 1/2 cups of water, scraping pan bottom and edges with wooden spoon to loosen remaining browned bits. Gradually remaining 1 1/2 cups water, stirring constantly and scraping pan edges to dissolve flour. Add thyme and 1 teaspoon salt and bring to simmer. Add bones and then meat and accumulated juices. Return to simmer, cover, and place in oven. Cook for 1 hour.
- Remove pot from oven and place potatoes on top of meat and bones. Cover and return pot to oven and cook until meat is tender, about 1 hour. If serving immediately, stir potatoes into liquid, wait 5 minutes, and spoon off any fat that rises to top. (Stew can be covered and refrigerated for up to 3 days. Spoon off congealed fat and bring back to simmer over medium-low heat.)
- Stir in parsley and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Remove bones if desired. Serve immediately.
Yield
Serves 6Ingredients
4 ½ pounds lamb shoulder chops (blade or round bone), each 1 to 1½ inches thick, trimmed, meat removed from bones and cut into 1½-inch pieces (see illustrations below and note above)
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 onions (about 2½ pounds), chopped coarse (about 5 cups)
¼ cup unbleached all-purpose flour
3 cups water
1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried
2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes (about 6 medium), peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
¼ cup minced fresh parsley leaves
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
4 ½ pounds lamb shoulder chops (blade or round bone), each 1 to 1½ inches thick, trimmed, meat removed from bones and cut into 1½-inch pieces (see illustrations below and note above)
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 onions (about 2½ pounds), chopped coarse (about 5 cups)
¼ cup unbleached all-purpose flour
3 cups water
1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried
2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes (about 6 medium), peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
¼ cup minced fresh parsley leaves
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
4 ½ pounds lamb shoulder chops (blade or round bone), each 1 to 1½ inches thick, trimmed, meat removed from bones and cut into 1½-inch pieces (see illustrations below and note above)
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 onions (about 2½ pounds), chopped coarse (about 5 cups)
¼ cup unbleached all-purpose flour
3 cups water
1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried
2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes (about 6 medium), peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
¼ cup minced fresh parsley leaves
Test Kitchen Techniques
Why This Recipe Works
For a lamb stew recipe with real flavor, finding the right cut of meat was half the battle. We found that slicing the meat off the bone from a lamb shoulder chop, browning it, and adding the bones and meat to the stewing liquid gave us a great lamb stew recipe with a rich-tasting broth and the velvety texture that only marrow-rich bones can contribute.
Before You Begin
Try to buy the shoulder chops from the butcher. In most supermarkets, lamb shoulder chops are thin, often about 1/2 inch thick. At this thickness, the stew meat is too insubstantial. Ideally, we liked chops cut 1 1/2 inches thick, but 1-inch chops will suffice.
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 300 degrees. Cut meat from bones and reserve bones. Trim meat of excess fat and cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes. Season meat generously with salt and pepper.
- Heat 1 tablespoon oil in large ovenproof Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering, about 2 minutes. Add half of meat to pot so that individual pieces are close together but not touching. Cook, without moving, until sides touching pot are well-browned, 2 to 3 minutes. Using tongs, turn each piece and continue cooking until most sides are well-browned, about 5 minutes longer. Transfer meat to medium bowl, add another 1 tablespoon oil to pot, and swirl to coat pan bottom. Brown remaining lamb; transfer meat to bowl and set aside.
- Reduce heat to medium, add remaining tablespoon oil, and swirl to coat pan bottom. Add onions and 1/4 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring frequently and vigorously, scraping bottom of pot with wooden spoon to loosen browned bits, until onions have browned, about 8 minutes. Add flour and stir until onions are evenly coated, 1 to 2 minutes.
- Stir in 1 1/2 cups of water, scraping pan bottom and edges with wooden spoon to loosen remaining browned bits. Gradually remaining 1 1/2 cups water, stirring constantly and scraping pan edges to dissolve flour. Add thyme and 1 teaspoon salt and bring to simmer. Add bones and then meat and accumulated juices. Return to simmer, cover, and place in oven. Cook for 1 hour.
- Remove pot from oven and place potatoes on top of meat and bones. Cover and return pot to oven and cook until meat is tender, about 1 hour. If serving immediately, stir potatoes into liquid, wait 5 minutes, and spoon off any fat that rises to top. (Stew can be covered and refrigerated for up to 3 days. Spoon off congealed fat and bring back to simmer over medium-low heat.)
- Stir in parsley and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Remove bones if desired. Serve immediately.
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