Irish Lamb Stew

A rustic, hearty Irish stew of braised lamb shoulder, potatoes, carrots, and pearl onions in a Guinness-enriched broth. Long, slow simmering turns tough lamb shoulder meltingly tender and thickens the broth naturally from the potatoes.

By YumYum Editorial · Soups & Stews

Prep: 25 min · Cook: 2 min · Total: 27 min · Serves 6

Ingredients

• 2 lbs lamb shoulder, trimmed and cut into 1.5-inch chunks
• to taste Salt and black pepper, to taste
• 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 3 tbsp vegetable oil, divided
• 1 large onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 cup Guinness or other dark stout
• 4 cups lamb or beef broth
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
• 4 large potatoes, cut into 1.5-inch chunks
• 3 carrots, cut into 1-inch chunks
• 1 cup pearl onions, peeled
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

Instructions

1. Season the lamb with salt and pepper, then toss with flour to coat.
2. Heat 2 tbsp oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Brown the lamb in batches, about 3-4 minutes per side; set aside.
3. Add remaining oil and diced onion, sauté 5 minutes until softened. Add garlic and tomato paste, cook 1 minute.
4. Pour in the Guinness, scraping up the browned bits, and simmer 2 minutes.
5. Return the lamb to the pot with the broth, bay leaves, and thyme. Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook on low heat 1 hour.
6. Add the potatoes, carrots, and pearl onions. Cover and continue simmering 45 minutes to 1 hour, until the lamb is tender and the potatoes are cooked through, breaking up slightly to thicken the broth.
7. Remove bay leaves, season with salt and pepper to taste, and stir in parsley.
8. Ladle into bowls and serve with crusty soda bread.