Tradition and quality ingredients mix together to elevate Irish stew
Chris McNamara Chicago Tribune Mar. 15, 2005 12:00 AM
Economy is a main ingredient in most traditional Irish dishes, and none more than stew.
Stew is an Irish staple, an edible history composed of basic ingredients: tough cuts of meat and simple vegetables straight from the soil-potatoes and parsnips and carrots.
But in the right hands, Irish stew becomes more than the sum of its simple parts.
"We used to have a terrible inferiority complex," said Darina Allen about Ireland's culinary confidence. The owner of Ballymaloe Cookery School (cookingisfun.ie) in County Cork, Ireland, Allen trains amateurs and professionals using foods harvested from the organic farm that surrounds her school.
"We used to think that the U.S. and U.K. were better," she said. "But now it's like the nation is growing up."
She has played a part in that empowerment. The school attracts students from around the world who want to study with Allen; Chicago chef and Irish native Nigel Bonner calls her "the goddess of cooking back home."
Like the varying styles of Italian food, Allen explained, each region of Ireland produces a unique variety of stew. Southern regions frequently use barley, a cheap and nutritious way to fill bellies. Others cap their stew with a crust of mashed potatoes.
For many years mutton was the only meat available, and scarce at that. "If a sheep had a broken leg or it was old and wasn't salable, it would be used for stew," she said. "It was a great luxury to have meat."
Shoulder and neck cuts were slow-cooked, breaking down the fatty tissues and allowing the flavor of the bone to season the broth.
Conditions have thankfully changed in Ireland; poverty no longer grips the nation. Yet the simple cooking styles have remained. And the funny thing is, they're becoming trendy.
"We're gaining confidence and appreciating what we have at home," Allen said. "We're more aware of our quality ingredients."
She described bountiful flavors that can be traced to Irish grass.
"Our animals are fed on that lovely, lush grass their whole lives, and that affects the meat and the dairy," Allen said. "We can grow grass like nowhere else in the world." Artisan cheeses and organic farming now are as popular in Ireland as elsewhere.
Recipe through customs Allen's approach to Irish cuisine-and its stew-is being practiced here as well. Bonner is one chef following tradition.
When he came to America a few years back, Bonner brought with him some clothes, a phone number for an acquaintance in New York and his grandmother's stew recipe, representative of the style prepared in his home county of Mayo (in the Atlantic-coast region of Ireland). It is a clear broth, loaded with heavy chunks of tender lamb, carrots, potatoes and onions. And his customers at Ginger's Ale House on the North Side love it. Bonner purchases as much as 30 pounds of lamb per week from a supplier specializing in Irish foodstuffs.
"It's either right or wrong," Bonner said. "There's no in-between."
Just don't tell that to Marie Garrigan. The chef at Molly Malone's in Forest Park, Ill., a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, puts a decidedly Yankee spin on the traditional recipe.
"I use beef," she declared.
Six gallons at a time, three days a week, Garrigan passes on lamb in favor of a flavor that Americans are more accustomed to.
"It's an evolution-the original recipe has changed," she said. "But it's still made with love." (Love-and Guinness stout, a common fortifier of Irish dishes.)
"Stew with beef is beef stew," snapped Michael Connelly, manager at Irish Times in Brookfield, Ill. "Irish stew uses lamb."
Based on the appearance of his pub, Connelly should be the Chicago area's authority on Irish protocol. Stepping through the doors of Irish Times is like traveling across the Atlantic and back in time about 50 years. A fire warms the cozy bar and dining room, where the wooden walls are adorned with trinkets from the homeland.
Twice weekly Connelly orders the kitchen to make a fresh batch of stew.
"We don't use any Mickey Mouse meat," he emphasized with his Galway accent. Rather, they use high-quality cuts of lamb, cleaved into large pieces ("so it doesn't get lost") in 15-gallon batches.
The origins of this recipe are a mystery-passed down through generations. Of course, the chef making all of the authentic Irish fare has a distinctly un-Irish name: Pedro Urtuso. A native of Mexico, Urtuso has added the subtle flavors of Ireland to his repertoire. "I don't use the recipe anymore," he boasted.
Melting pot Personal chef and cooking consultant Steve Perlstein also doesn't need a recipe for Irish stew. While his name, too, lacks a Gaelic ring, Perlstein's stew attracted the attention of the Irish American Heritage Center on Chicago's North Side, which is employing the Grayslake resident to create a new menu for its cafe.
"The Jewish and Irish do have the corned beef in common," Perlstein said with a chuckle.
Perhaps it takes such a perspective, one outside the culture, to appreciate-without bias-the state of Irish cooking.
"It is a cuisine that lets you know it is there," Perlstein said. "There are great flavors in Irish cooking, as much as any cuisine."
Ballymaloe Irish Stew Preparation time: 25 minutes
Cooking time: 2 hours
Yield: 6 servings
This recipe, adapted from "Traditional Irish Cooking," by Darina Allen, uses a roux (a mixture of butter and flour) for thickening.
10 small shoulder lamb chops 12 each: baby carrots, pearl onions 1 tablespoon each: butter, flour 2 cans (14 1/2 ounces each) beef broth 12 small red potatoes, halved 1 sprig thyme 1 teaspoon salt, plus more if necessary Freshly ground pepper 1 tablespoon each: chopped parsley, chopped chives
Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Trim lamb chops; place fat in a Dutch oven. Remove meat from bones; reserve bones. Cut meat into 1-inch pieces.
Heat the lamb fat over low heat until rendered, about 5 minutes; discard browned pieces. Increase heat to medium-high; cook meat in batches until browned, about 4 minutes per batch; set aside. Add carrots and onions to Dutch oven; cook, stirring, until onions soften, about 3 minutes.
Meanwhile, for the roux, melt butter in a heavy skillet over medium heat; stir in flour until smooth. Cook, stirring, until thickened and tan, about 3 minutes. Stir in 1/2 cup of the broth until smooth. Stir remaining broth into the Dutch oven, scraping up browned bits. Stir in the roux, lamb, potatoes, thyme, 1 teaspoon of the salt and pepper to taste.
Heat mixture to a boil over medium heat. Cover with foil; top with lid. Transfer to oven; bake until meat is fork-tender, about 1 1/2 hours; skim off fat. Stir in chopped parsley, chives. Adjust seasoning.
Nutrition information per serving: 686 calories, 20 percent of calories from fat, 15 g fat, 7 g saturated fat, 85 mg cholesterol, 74 g carbohydrates, 60 g protein, 1,004 mg sodium, 6 g fiber
Irish Stew with Tomatoes and Peppers Preparation time: 20 minutes Cooking time: 2 hours, 20 minutes Yield: 8 servings
This recipe from Irish Times in Brookfield, Ill., hints of an Italian influence. We've adapted the recipe for home cooks.
1 tablespoon vegetable oil 2 pounds lean lamb, cut in medium chunks 1 teaspoon each: salt, pepper, dried oregano 1 can (14 1/2 ounces) beef broth 1 can (16 ounces) tomato sauce 2 cups water 1 bay leaf 3 russet potatoes, peeled, cut into 1-inch pieces 2 each, peeled, cut into 1-inch pieces: carrots, parsnips 1 onion, cut into 1-inch pieces 1 each, cored, seeded, sliced: red bell pepper, green bell pepper 2 cloves garlic, minced
Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat; season lamb with salt, pepper and oregano. Brown lamb in batches in Dutch oven, about 3 minutes per batch. Return lamb to Dutch oven; stir in the broth, scraping up browned bits. Stir in tomato sauce, water and bay leaf. Heat to a boil; reduce heat to medium-low. Cook 30 minutes.
Add potatoes, carrots, parsnips, onion, peppers and garlic. Cook until meat and vegetables are tender, about 2 hours. Remove bay leaf before serving. Skim off fat; adjust seasonings.
Nutrition information per serving: 250 calories, 24 percent of calories from fat, 7 g fat, 2 g saturated fat, 48 mg cholesterol, 29 g carbohydrates, 19 g protein, 836 mg sodium, 5 g fiber
Irish Beef Stew Preparation time: 35 minutes Cooking time: 2 hours, 9 minutes Yield: 6 servings
This stew is adapted from a recipe from Molly Malone's Irish Pub in Forest Park, Ill., where they use Guinness stout for flavoring.
1 tablespoon olive oil 1 1/2 pounds beef chuck, cut into 2-inch chunks 2 large carrots, diced 1 rib celery, diced 1 small onion, diced 1/2 small leek, diced 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 can (6 ounces) tomato paste 1/2 cup each: flour, stout or beer 2 tablespoons red wine, optional 2 cans (14 1/2 ounces each) beef broth 3 medium red potatoes, diced 1/2 teaspoon salt Freshly ground pepper
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Cook meat in batches, stirring often, until brown on all sides, about 6 minutes per batch. Remove meat; set aside.
Add the carrots, celery, onion and leek into the Dutch oven. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is softened, about 4 minutes. Stir in garlic, tomato paste and flour. Cook, stirring, until very thick, about 2 minutes.
Stir in beer and wine, scraping up browned bits. Stir in beef broth, potatoes and reserved meat. Heat almost to a boil over medium heat. Cover; transfer to oven. Bake until tender, about 1 1/2 hours; skim off fat. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Nutrition information per serving: 351 calories, 28 percent of calories from fat, 11 g fat, 3 g saturated fat, 70 mg cholesterol, 36 g carbohydrates, 28 g protein, 939 mg sodium, 4 g fiber
Irish Stout Lamb Stew Preparation time: 35 minutes Cooking time: 3 hours, 20 minutes Yield: 10 servings
"This is one of my favorite recipes," said personal chef Steve Perlstein of the Irish American Heritage Center. He added that when browning the meat, "Don't crowd the pot! This is the wrong place to save a little time. You'll have more chance to enjoy your beer." He uses Guinness stout in this recipe. Serve with Irish soda bread.
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons flour 2 teaspoons salt plus more to taste Freshly ground pepper 3 pounds cubed lamb shoulder 3 tablespoons vegetable oil 1 can (16 ounces) or 2 cups stout or dark beer 1 1/2 pounds red potatoes, quartered 3 each, peeled, cut into 1-inch chunks: parsnips, carrots 2 large yellow onions, coarsely chopped 4 ribs celery, cut into 1-inch pieces 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped 3 cans (14 1/2 ounces each) low-sodium beef broth 1 cup pearl barley 12 sprigs parsley 3 sprigs thyme 2 sprigs rosemary
Mix 1/2 cup of the flour, 1 teaspoon of the salt and pepper to taste in a resealable bag; add lamb. Shake to coat lamb. Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Sear the lamb in batches, until browned on all sides, about 4 minutes per batch. Remove each batch to a plate.
Stir remaining 2 tablespoons of the flour into the Dutch oven. Cook, stirring, over medium heat, 1 minute. Stir in the stout, scraping up the browned bits. Add the potatoes, parsnips, carrots, onions, celery and garlic. Cook until the liquid is reduced by half, about 20 minutes.
Return meat to the Dutch oven. Add the broth and barley. Tie the parsley, thyme and rosemary in a bundle with kitchen string; add to Dutch oven. Cook, stirring occasionally, until lamb is fork-tender, about 2 1/2 hours. Skim off any fat. Season with remaining teaspoon of the salt and pepper to taste.
Nutrition information per serving: 477 calories, 24 percent of calories from fat, 13 g fat, 6 g saturated fat, 54 mg cholesterol, 50 g carbohydrates, 39 g protein, 622 mg sodium, 8 g fiber
Fusion Stew Last March Ginger's Ale House invited amateur chefs to enter an Irish stew cook-off. David Burns, a student at the Cooking and Hospitality Institute of Chicago, tickled the judges' taste buds and claimed first prize.
He said his recipe "is derivative of the Ballymaloe Irish stew recipe, but I put my own jazz in it." That jazz includes the unusual additions of cinnamon, ginger and Chinese five-spice powder. Burns is Vietnamese by birth, but was raised by his adoptive South Side Irish parents.
"If there's a name for Asian-Irish cooking you can let me know," Burns, 32, said with a laugh. "Maybe Pacific Rim meets Ireland."
Burns' Irish Stew Preparation time: 30 minutes Cooking time: 2 hours Yield: 8 servings
Burns uses Guinness Stout in this recipe. Regular cinnamon can be used in place of Vietnamese cassia.
2 pounds shoulder lamb chops, about 1-inch thick 1 teaspoon salt Freshly ground pepper 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 2 cups stout or beer 3 tablespoons butter 2 tablespoons flour 2 pounds new potatoes, peeled, diced 1 pound baby carrots, diced 2 large white onions, diced 2 ribs celery, diced 1 bay leaf 1 teaspoon each: chopped fresh thyme, Chinese five-spice powder, ground ginger, ground Vietnamese cinnamon (cassia) or regular cinnamon 2 cans (14 1/2 ounces each) beef broth 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Season the lamb chops with salt and pepper to taste. Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat; add the chops. Sear, in batches, 2 minutes on each side; set aside the chops. Add the stout; cook 1 minute, scraping up any brown particles. Return lamb to the Dutch oven.
Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat; stir in the flour to make a roux. Cook, stirring, until light golden, about 5 minutes; set aside.
Add potatoes, carrots, onions, celery, bay leaf, thyme, five-spice powder, ginger and cinnamon to the Dutch oven. Stir in broth and reserved roux; heat, stirring often, to a boil. Cover; transfer to oven. Bake until the lamb falls off the bone, about 1 1/2-2 hours. Skim off the fat with a spoon; stir in parsley. Spoon into serving bowls.
Nutrition information per serving: 295 calories, 24 percent of calories from fat, 8 g fat, 3 g saturated fat, 45 mg cholesterol, 26 g carbohydrates, 30 g protein, 774 mg sodium, 4 g fiber