This is hearty, comfort food at its best. This simple-to-follow Irish beef stew recipe is fool proof and the perfect dish to cook in bulk and have stocked in the freezer. If, and when, you don’t feel like cooking, you will always have a home-cooked stew ‘ready meal’ available.
Delicious, rich in flavour, and packed full of micronutrients, this beef stew recipe is also high in protein and suitable for those who opt for low(er) carbohydrate diets. An ideal meal to prepare on a lazy Sunday afternoon, with comfort in the fact that you have meal options prepared in advance for the rest of the week. It actually tastes even better reheated! Enjoy!
Yield: 6 portions
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 1-1.5 hours
*Nutritional values per portion:
Kcal 355 | Protein 42g | Carbohydrate 11g | Fat 13g
Ingredients:
- 1kg good quality stewing beef, cut into cubes
- 1.5 tbsp olive oil
- 100g streaky bacon
- Smoked bacon works well too
- 1 large onion, roughly chopped
- Whole baby onions work well too (8-10)
- 4 medium-large carrots, cut into chunky strips
- 225g button mushrooms, cut into chunks
- 1 tbsp chopped, fresh rosemary
- 1 tbsp chopped, fresh thyme
- 8 cloves of garlic, crushed or finely chopped
- 200ml red wine
- 400ml chicken or beef stock
- 1 tbsp cornflour mixed with water
- 1-2 tbsp freshly chopped parsley to garnish
- 1-2 spring onions, finely chopped
- Salt and pepper to season
Methods:
- Season the beef and place it into a hot casserole dish or a deep saucepan, with the olive oil. Brown the beef, together with the bacon, for a couple of minutes. Once nicely browned all over, remove all the meat and set to one side.
- Next, separately add the onions, mushrooms, and carrots. Season and gently fry on a medium heat for 1-3 minutes. Add the garlic and fry for a further minute.
- Add the chopped rosemary and thyme and place the meat back into the casserole dish.
- Cover with red wine and stock and simmer for at least 1 hour or until the beef is tender and the vegetables are cooked throughout.
- If you prefer a thicker gravy, mix the cornflour with just enough water to cover it and stir into the cooked beef and vegetables. Simmer for another minute and taste for seasoning.
- Serve with boiled or mashed potatoes, particularly if you are looking to bulk up the meal and/or if you wish to increase the carbohydrate content. Finally, to garnish – sprinkle the finely chopped parsley and spring onions.
Note – like many stews, this Irish beef stew recipe is quite versatile and can be tweaked according to personal preference and/or according to what ingredients are readily available in the kitchen. If you find an ingredient that works particularly well, please do let us know in the comments section below.
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