Beer Braised Lamb Stew

Many different countries hold some variation of lamb stew and some recipes are centuries old.  My recipe comes from the many different types of lamb stew that I have tasted while traveling across the globe while in the military.  Not all recipes use beer; however, in this dish, I used a porter, which is very much like a stout beer, dark and hoppy.  You can use your favorite brand in this recipe if you are not fond of dark brews; however, once it’s simmered for a few hours, the beer just adds a deep rich flavor and the alcohol is burned off.  This recipe also works well with venison.  Here’s how to make it:

Start by preheating the oven to 325 degrees.  Next, cut up 6 slices of smoked uncured nitrate free bacon into 1–nch strips and fry slowly over med/low heat in a Dutch oven to render the fat.

While the bacon renders you can cut up the lamb into 2-inch pieces.  Once the bacon is crispy, remove from the pot with a slotted spoon and put in a dish and set aside.  Save all of the bacon grease for browning the meat. 

Start browning the lamb in the bacon fat over med high heat in batches without overcrowding the pan.  If the pan is overcrowded during browning, the meat will just steam and not give you the nice browning that you need for flavor.

As you brown the meat in batches, place in a bowl that will capture all of the juices until all the meat is browned.

Next you will need to sauté 1 medium onion and 2 stalks of celery with leaves that are chopped. Sauté until crisp tender and then add the 2 cloves of minced garlic and cook until just fragrant.

Once the garlic is fragrant, sprinkle 2 tablespoons of flour over the top and mix the flour in well.

After flour is mixed in, deglaze by adding in 12 oz. of your favorite beer, I used a dark beer.  The bottle in the photo is more than 12 oz., that’s because I wanted to drink the rest. 🙂  Continue cooking over med. heat and once you add in the beer, scrape the bottom of the pan to get up all the little bits on the bottom of the pot and then add the 2 cups of beef broth.  Continue stirring and scraping the bottom until the liquid starts to thicken about 1-2 minutes.

Now add in 1 tsp. of dried thyme, 2 bay leaves (be sure to remove bay leaves after cooking), and the crispy bacon into the pot.  Stir to combine and then add all of the lamb and the juices back to the pot.

Stir to cover the meat with sauce, cover the pot, and place in a preheated 350-degree oven for 1 1/2 hours.

 After the 1 1/2 hours, remove the pot from the oven and add 2 cups of baby carrots (not the tiny ones), and 2 cups of unpeeled red potatoes cut into 1- inch pieces. If you prefer peeling the potatoes you can; however, because there are many nutrients in the skin, I just wash the potatoes, leave the skin on, and cut them up.  Plus, they add beautiful color and saves time to boot.

Stir in the potatoes and carrots, cover the pot, and place back into the oven to finish cooking the vegetables, about 35-40 minutes until the vegetables are tender.  *Note, I sometimes add thawed frozen green beans as well and they will cook with the potatoes and carrots.

When vegetables are tender, remove from the oven and stir the stew.  You can add a little more water if the sauce is too thick or has reduced.  Remove the 2 bay leaves.

Sprinkle with fresh chopped Italian parsley and it’s ready.  Sprinkle more parsley on each serving to add freshness.  Enjoy and happy cooking!

Prep Time:  30 min.                                           Cook Time: 2 – 3 hrs.

Difficulty: Medium                                             Servings: 4-6

Ingredients:

Preheat Oven to 325 degrees

2  lbs. lamb meat cut into 2-inch pieces 

6  slices smoked uncured bacon (cut into 1-inch strips)

1 med. onion chopped

2 stalks celery with leaves chopped

2 cloves of garlic minced

2 tablespoons flour

12 oz. dark beer or your favorite brew

2 cups beef broth

2 bay leaves

1 tsp. dried thyme

2 cups baby carrots (not the real tiny ones)

2 cups unpeeled red potatoes cut into 1-inch chunks (you can peel them if desired but there is color and nutrients in the skin)

salt & pepper to taste

Fresh Italian parsley chopped for garnish (about 2 cups)