{"id":2338,"date":"2012-03-16T03:00:44","date_gmt":"2012-03-16T10:00:44","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/leanmeanvirilemachine.com\/?p=2338"},"modified":"2012-03-15T23:20:22","modified_gmt":"2012-03-16T06:20:22","slug":"how-to-cook-killer-irish-stew","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/theguycancook.com\/blog\/2012\/03\/16\/how-to-cook-killer-irish-stew\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Cook Killer Irish Stew"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/p>\n

\u201cTo live is the rarest thing in the world. Most people exist. That is all.\u201d
\n-Oscar Wilde<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

It\u2019s that time of year again. People are dressing in green. They\u2019re speaking in faux-foreign accents. They\u2019re drinking green beer.<\/p>\n

For a non-official holiday, St. Patrick\u2019s day is surprisingly well-observed here in the States. And it is by no means isolated to those with Irish ancestry.<\/p>\n

And what better way to celebrate than with a bowl of Irish stew?<\/p>\n

It\u2019s the type of meal that Irishman Oscar Wilde (who was so kind as to provide the quote at the top) would have enjoyed frequently.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s quite healthy and, as I will show you, very easy to prepare.<\/p>\n

The Irish Stew Controversy<\/h2>\n

For such a rustic dish, Irish stew is surprisingly controversial.<\/p>\n

The purists will tell you that true Irish stew contains only mutton, potatoes, onions, and water.<\/p>\n

Although that might make the sticklers happy, for most of us this results in a bland and dull meal.<\/p>\n

And so, in the past few centuries, people have started adding more and more to it.<\/p>\n

If mutton cannot be found (and it rarely can), plain lamb is used instead. Carrots and celery are added to make a mirepoix<\/em> with the onions. Spices and herbs are added and the water is replaced with stock for extra flavor.<\/p>\n

Traditional Irish foods, such as Guinness stout and pearl barley are added. And corn starch and flour are added to make it thicker.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m not Irish (although my first name is), so I\u2019m more than happy to buck tradition a bit and end up with a tastier meal. But do what is right for you. Take this recipe as a blueprint and add or subtract to suit your taste, as always.<\/p>\n

From Pot Roast to Stew<\/h2>\n

One of the cornerstones of kitchen hacking is that, instead of relying on thick cookbooks of unrelated recipes, you instead focus on the basics.<\/p>\n

After you have a handful of these \u201cblueprints\u201d memorized, you can prepare countless variations based on what you have available and what you\u2019re in the mood for.<\/p>\n

In the Kitchen Hacking 101 course, I showed you in great detail how to prepare a pot roast from scratch. (If you haven\u2019t signed up for this free course yet, you\u2019ll want to do so here<\/a>.)<\/p>\n

Stew is basically a more \u201cdilute\u201d form of pot roast, with more liquid and the meat cut up before cooking. This results in a thick dish that is ready to eat immediately after cooking is complete.<\/p>\n

And so, by using more stock than a pot roast, and substituting diced lamb for a whole beef roast, you have essentially made Irish stew!<\/p>\n

Here’s an idea of the time, money, and energy I put into this (and what I got out of it):<\/p>\n