Tex-Mex Irish Stew

by LEON BOUTEILLER

Spring, with its mud season, is on its way. Some early avian arrivals; the trees and shrubs show signs of life. Another harbinger is the celebration of Saint Patrick’s Day. Not an official holiday but universally celebrated, a day of all things green. Irish foods are in the spotlight with green beer. A list of traditional Irish foods will be available at pubs and restaurants. Home cooks will boil corned beef and bake soda bread.

I want to throw in another recipe that may be a bit unusual. It is from my association with a restaurant that was part of the community in West Hartford in the 1980s named Pancho McGee’s. The food was a mashup of Irish-Mexican recipes, surprisingly delightful. I don’t have the original recipe for this Irish stew with a Mexican twist but this is close.

There are many recipes for Irish stew. Deep in history it was likely a simple braise of lamb or mutton with some onions or leeks, a root vegetable or two like carrot, turnip or rutabaga. After the introduction of potatoes to Ireland, they became an obvious addition. Over time it is commonly made with beef and a good stout or dark ale. My recipe is made with beef, onion and carrot but, along with the stout, it will include some Mexican inspired seasonings.

The recipe is not complicated, but it does take time for the beef chuck to become tender and the flavors to complex.

TEX-MEX IRISH STEW

Ingredients:

2 ½ pounds beef chuck, cut into 1 ½ inch chunks
1 ½ pounds potatoes, cut into 1 inch cubes or the equivalent baby potatoes
1 pound carrots, peeled and cut into 1 ½ x ½ inch sticks or the equivalent of bagged baby carrots
1 large Spanish onion, chopped, about 2 cups
3 cloves garlic, minced
¼ cup neutral oil
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
tablespoon molasses
3 cups beef stock
1 can Guinness stout or other dark beer. About 1 pint
1 can chopped green chiles, 4 ounces
2 tablespoons chiles in adobo, chopped
1 tablespoon chili powder
3 bay leaves
2 teaspoons Mexican oregano, or other
1 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
Chopped parsley, cilantro or scallions for garnish
Dredge for the beef: 1/4 cup Masa Harina or fine corn meal, 2 teaspoons adobo seasoning, 1 teaspoon black pepper and 1/2 teaspoon fine salt

<i.Method:</>

Make the dredge and place in a shallow dish and set aside
Heat the oil in a large braising pan or Dutch oven, over medium high heat. Dredge the beef cubes and brown them as evenly on all sides. Don’t crowd the pan, so it is best to do this in batches
Set the browned beef aside. Add the butter to the pan along with the onion, carrot and garlic. Stir frequently and cook until the onion has become translucent
To the pot add the tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, molasses, stout, green chiles, chiles in adobo and the remainder of spices and herbs
Add the stock to the pot and give it a stir to evenly distribute the ingredients
Return the beef to the pot and be sure to submerge any pieces that may be above the liquid
Cover the pot snugly and place in a 300F degree convection oven for 90 minutes. Add 20 minutes if using a conventional oven
Remove the pot from the oven and add the potatoes to the stew. Give it a gentle stir then cover the pot and return to the oven for another 30 minutes
Remove the stew from the oven, check for seasoning then serve with a shower of the chopped green herb of choice. Or let cool to room temperature, cover and refrigerate. Reheat gently within the next three days and serve

This is a different take on a classic form of Irish stew. A little heat from the chiles but I avoided the spice cumin so it doesn’t taste like a southwest pot of chili. Serve with some soda bread or brown bread and a frosty pint of stout. I’m sure you’ll make this recipe again.

Enjoy!