How to Make Poor Man's Irish Stew

My husband grew up in Belfast, Northern Ireland. He learned how to make a great Irish Stew on a budget.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• 2.5 Pounds Ground Beef
• 2 Large Onions
• 2 lb Carrots
• 5 lb Potatoes
• 1 large cooking pot
• 1 OXO Cube
• Bisto

1. 
    
   Cover with Water

   Put the ground beef in a large pot and fill with water.
   Have the water line just covering the ground beef.

2. 
    
   We used baby carrots.

   Set the heat on high, ready to boil.
   Add the carrots.

3. 
    
   Dice as desired

   Slice up an onion.
   I like mine in big, thick slices.

4. 
    

   Add it to the pot and DO NOT STIR!

5. 
    

   All the flavors are starting to blend as the water becomes hotter and hotter. Almost near boiling.

6. 
    
   Great job for the man of the house!

   Peel the potatoes.
   My Irish love likes to peel while watching football!
   He has a garbage can ready to catch the unwanted peels and a clean pot to drop the peeled ones in.
   After the pot is filled he will take it to the sink and wash/rinse the freshly peeled potatoes.

7. 
    

   Cut the cleaned potatoes into quarters.

8. 
    

   Add it to the pot and bring to a boil.
   Add more water IF needed. Again ONLY to cover the top just a dab over all the ingredients.

9. 
    
   Breaking up the OXO

   Add the Bisto and the OXO.
   OXO is like Bullion Cubes.
   If you can't get OXO then use beef bullion cubes.
   Bisto is like a dark gravy flavoring enhancer.
   It can be left out if desired but I don't recommend leaving out the OXO/Beef bullion. That is a much needed ingredient.

10. 
     
    Lightly Mash

    Gently stir/blend or fold in the OXO and Bisto.
    
    Once it is all to a boil and you've reached a desired consistency to the potatoes and carrots, it is time to MASH!
    
    GENTLY mash everything together.
    But do NOT over mash.
    
    I personally like a few CHUNKS lingering of the carrots.potatoes, onions and the ground beef.

11. 
     

    SERVE!
    
    We all love this when it is fresh from the pot!
    
    "Irish Jimmy" my husband said that when he was a child and everyone wanted to eat FAST. His mum would serve it on a plate, allowing it to cool much faster so that the children could it it right away with no fear of burning their mouth.
    
    And, its even better the next day if there is any left!

12. 
     
    http://TheIrishShamrockCompany.com

    Enjoy and may the "Luck of the Irish" surround you while you enjoy this awesome stew!

Tips & Warnings

• DO NOT STIR while cooking.
• Add the ground beef in a BLOCK not separated.
• Add parsnips.
• BISTO and OXO can be found at most major grocery stores.
• Careful with the Bisto as it can work as a thickening agent. Follow the instructions and use it wisely.

Resources

• The Irish Sharmock Company.com
• The Irish Sealcoater.com

[soanyway]

on 6/14/2009 Oh! it looks terrible, but we all know how that goes. Looks are deceiving! Thanks for the recipe! Love your pics! ;-)

[annvans]

on 6/14/2009 This recipe sounds so good, thanks!

[grove]

on 5/30/2009 Great recipe for Irish stew. I especially liked the story about serving it on a plate so it could cool faster and wouldn't burn the kids' mouths. Cute!

[mariamystar33]

on 2/7/2009 Oh this looks delicious. 5* and a reccomendation!

[wordwhirler]

on 2/7/2009 Great timing, as St. Patrick's Day will be here soon. Think I have some research to do before I can make this (OXO and Bistro) but sounds interesting!