Irish Stew

Happy St. Patrick's Day! What are you making today?

 Irish Stew
 from Dinner Tool

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil or unsalted butter
• 2 medium onions, chopped
• 3 pounds boneless lamb stew meat, cut into 1-inch cubes, or 3 pounds lamb shoulder chops (I just used beef stew meat)
• 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves, or 3/4 teaspoon dried thyme
• Salt and ground black pepper to taste
• 2 medium boiling potatoes, peeled and sliced
• 3 cups chicken stock or water
• 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 4 medium potatoes, peeled and halved
• 8 medium carrots, peeled and cut diagonally into 1/2-inch slices
• 1/4 cup pearl barley
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• Salt and ground black pepper to taste
• Chopped fresh parsley

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 325°F.

Heat in a Dutch oven over medium heat:

Add and cook without browning, until softened: the vegetable oil (or unsalted butter) and onions.

Stir in the meat, thyme leaves and salt and pepper. Mix in 2 potatoes, chicken stock and Worcestershire sauce.Add 4 potatoes.

Cover tightly and bake for 1 hour. Remove from the oven and add the carrots, pearl barley and heavy cream. Stir well.

Cover and return to the oven. Bake until the meat is fork-tender and barley is softened, 45 to 60 minutes more.

Season with: salt and black pepper to taste.

Serve sprinkled with: chopped fresh parsley.