Guinness Lamb Stew
A good stew is always a delicious thing. A wonderful Guinness lamb stew
is a heavenly thing.
This dish is a hearty one, that easily becomes
a comfort dish for those eating it.
Delicious slow-simmered seared
lamb loins, cooked in a broth with vegetables and Guinness till it's
tender.
A finger-licking dinner option that will have your family
begging for more.
Normally when we say "stew" in the Caribbean, we most times are referring to
browning sugar to caramelize to add some kind of meat. Like how we make pelau
or stew chicken.
Another type of stew could also be a stir
fry type of dish with tomatoes and onions. This is the way some people might
make buljol or stew saltfish.
But this stew doesn't follow
any of the ones mentioned above.
This dish also varies from the
Traditional Irish lamb stew recipe. I do not use lamb chunks. In fact
traditionally the Irish used goat meat as their base, (it has now been
substituted with chunks) and it also includes potatoes and parsley. Both of
which are not included in this version.
Guinness stout gives meat
such great roasted flavor with the wheat.
What cut of lamb is best for stew?
For this, I used loin chops or chops. For the traditional recipe, some
like to use shanks that have been chunked. Or even leg pieces.
I
didn't want this recipe to be like a soup-style stew, so chops/loin chops
worked perfectly. If you are still trying to figure out which parts of the
lamb are best for what, Jaime Oliver gives a nice
lamb cuts synopsis.
Once browned, they hold up amazingly well to then continue
to simmer down in the broth. And the bones add even more flavor to the
dish.
The meat is tender, falling off the bone when finished.
How to make Guinness Stew
This recipe is packed with flavor, so to get to that level of taste, your
ingredients, therefore, need to be ones that are flavor-filled. And as fresh
as possible.
Lamb - loins or chops about 3" thick. I find
these at Publix often or at my Caribbean supermarket. I don't always see it in
my butcher shop.
Oil
Onion
Carrots
Garlic cloves
Chopped celery
Tomato paste
Guinness stout
Broth - this can be cups of beef broth or
chicken
Bay leaves
Thyme
Hot pepper - if
you don't have scotch bonnet pepper on hand you can easily use chili pepper or
your favorite hot pepper sauce
Flavor pepper
Allspice
Salt/black pepper to taste
I must also
mention the equipment needed for this. A good sturdy dutch oven pot is ideal.
They are the perfect pots for braises and stews because it continuously
distributes heat evenly.
This makes them the best vessel to sear at high temperatures and to cook
things "low and slow".
A medium to large-sized one is the best
size option to get to have room to fit as many pieces in the bottom of the
pan without overcrowding. And for them to sit in the broth to simmer
down.
In medium-high heat, heat your oil till it's smoking but
NOT burning.
Add your pieces to sear. I put them down and for a
few seconds don't move them. Then give it a little jiggle, but leaving it on
the first side still for about a minute. Then I flip it over and repeat.
Searing the meat is important to give them additional flavor. Doing this
makes the natural sugars caramelize and form a nice rich brown crust.
It
also leaves behind some bits that to the broth flavor when the cooking
continues. Some people like to put the lamb in flour prior to searing but it
is not necessary.
Don't worry about the burnt pieces at the
bottom of the pot, you need them. It will dissolve in the broth when we
start making the sauce to cook in.
After all the pieces are
seared, remove and set aside.
Now time to start building your
base. If all the oil disappeared add some more to sauté your onions, half
your carrots, and your celery.
I only use half my carrots
here because I like to get a firmer texture of carrots later down. You can
add it all here if you want.
Add half the Guinness and start getting the crusty bits up. Just keep
stirring and easing it up. Do not dig it off, let it come off naturally.
Add
your lamb pieces back in, packing them as well as you can. It's okay if you
have to layer them. Add the rest of the Guinness and the broth.
It
is essential that the pieces are covered in liquid. Pieces that stay out in
the cooking process can become dry and tough. If after adding your liquids
there are still pieces out you can use more broth or even water to take it
to the correct level.
Don't forget to add your bay leaves, tomato
paste, and allspice mix. I miss being home and getting fresh bay leaf, but
the dry ones will have to work, I usually just double it up.
Cover
and let it cook on medium heat until tender. It will be a few hours.
Occasionally
check for liquid amounts versus the doneness of the meat. I've never had to
add more liquid but I do keep my eye out for that happening.
When
it's done, you will have tender pieces of meat in a flavorful
Guinness-spiked broth.
My sauce tastes bitter
Uh oh. This happens sometimes when using beer but less likely to
happen with stout because it has less wheat. If that does happen, just add
some sugar in increments and let it simmer.
Also when cooking
with things with wheat, avoid using very high heat levels. They contain
bitter alpha acids and high heat increases the bitterness.
How do you thicken Guinness stew?
This is not soup so you don't need to have too much liquid. If you
happen to think that the sauce is too thin, and your meat is cooked, you can
still thicken it.
Carefully remove the pieces of meat and place
them aside. You can put them in the oven on the lowest heat to keep them
warm if you wish. Take a tablespoon of cornstarch or flour and add water to
the spoon and dissolve it into a smooth paste. Add to the sauce in the pot
and let it simmer till it thickens.
What to serve with lamb stew?
A good stew needs something to sop up that good delicious gravy. So pair it
with some
okra and rice or even some mashed potatoes would be great.
A side of mixed
vegetables, or just some crusty toasted
hard dough bread.
How to reheat lamb?
Lamb can be kept in the fridge for up to 3 days. And in the freezer for up
to two months.
If you are taking this from the freezer, get it to
room temperature then reheat it, making sure it's heated all the way
through.
This can also be made ahead a few hours. It can be kept
warm in the oven on the lowest heat for at most 20 minutes prior to serving.
My husband will love this deeply flavored stew. So perfect for cold winter evenings.
ReplyDeleteYes.. the flavor is so good Holly!!
DeleteGood post!
ReplyDelete