Irish Stew from Ireland

A hearty, tasty, flavoursome dish with a rich gravy heavily laced with alcohol.  Just the aroma of it cooking should send you to Seventh Heaven.

The stew has quite a bit of liquid and is best served with freshly baked soda bread which you can use to mop up the gravy.  Serve in bowls rather than on plates.  This is Irish cooking at its best!

Irish Stew

2 large onions chopped

6 garlic cloves finely chopped

2 tablespoons cooking oil

1.5kg beef chuck cubed

1 x 440ml can Guiness

1 cup red wine

½ cup whiskey

6 cups water

1 stock cube

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 tablespoon dried thyme

1 tablespoon sugar

1 tablespoon Worcester sauce (soy sauce)

3 carrots diced

6 potatoes diced

2 sticks celery chopped

1 teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon chili powder

Put the cooking oil into the pot and saute the onions and garlic.  Add the meat cubes and brown the meat so that it is just sealed.  Pour in the alcohol and water.  Add the stock cube, tomato paste, thyme, sugar, Worcester sauce, black pepper and chili powder.  Bring to the boil then reduce to medium heat.  Let it cook for an hour.  Add in the carrots, potatoes and celery,  Continue to let it simmer for another hour.  Serve with freshly-baked.soda bread.

Cindy Vine is the author of Not Telling, Defective and Hush Baby.  She currently lives and works in Kyiv, Ukraine.  Her books are available on Amazon in both print and Kindle format.