The Collegio Pittsburg's student voice since 1916
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1-pound beef, cut into 1 1/2-inch chunks
2 tablespoons plain all-purpose flour
2 pounds potatoes (peeled and cut into quarters)
1 cup onion (roughly chopped)
1 cup leeks (cleaned and finely chopped)
1 cup carrots (roughly chopped)
3 cups dark beef stock
2 or 3 cabbage leaves
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
To begin, heat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. In a large pan heath half to oil to hot and add the
beef. Brown the beef all over by turning it around in the hot oil. Next, remove the beef and place it in a
casserole or large pot.
Cover the beef with half of the quartered potatoes, onions, leeks, and carrots. Add the remaining oil to
the pan, heat it again, then add the remaining beef and brown it all over before placing it into the
casserole or pot. Then cover it with the remaining vegetables.
Next, add the flour to the frying pan and stir it very well to soak up any remaining fat and oils. Cook it
on a gentle heat for three minutes. Then, add the beef stock a cup at a time until you have a thick, lump-
free sauce.
Pour this sauce over the beef and vegetables.
Add the remaining stock to the pot, cover it with a tightfitting lid, and cook it in the oven for an hour.
Then, add the sliced cabbage, replace the lid, then cook for an additional hour.
Check from time to time to make sure the stock isn’t reducing too much. If it is, add a little boiling
water so that the meat. and vegetables are always covered by liquid. If the stew is too runny, you can cook
it a little longer with the lid removed.
Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Serve piping hot and enjoy!
Commentary:
This stew is perfect for these cold days we’ve been having recently. I first ate Irish stew when I was
visiting Dublin, Ireland with my sister and have been obsessed ever since! I enjoyed it so much I thought I would try and replicate it at home to remind me of my trip.
Although it takes a while to cook, this recipe is easy to throw together if you have little time to prepare but need to study or work for a while, while it cooks.
This stew pairs very well with a little crusty bread, like sourdough for example. It soaks up the gravy
well and can be quite filling. Other breads or toast taste great with it as well.
This stew can also be modified to suit your tastes. If you would like to add other vegetables or other
seasonings, you can do so. Some other vegetables that you could add in the stew are green beans, turnips,
eggplant, peppers, chickpeas, celery, sweet potatoes, parsnips, cauliflower or barley.
Some may like to add dried thyme, bay leaves or garlic to the stew to enhance the flavor.