St. Patrick's Day is quickly approaching. What better way to celebrate the holiday than with some traditional Irish Stew?
John Cosgrove spoke with KARE 11 about the holiday, the history of Irish cuisine and some St. Patrick's Day traditions in Ireland.
John grew up in Ireland, where hospitality is an inherent part of the culture. After college, his career was based mostly in hotel and restaurant management roles.
In 1999 he moved to Minneapolis, where he worked closely with Kieran Folliard at Cara Irish Pubs. His work life evolved from day-to-day operations to the events side of the business, including hosting trivia-themed events.
From there he developed into a professional emcee and started his first business in 2006, focusing on meetings and events.
Here is John's Irish Stew recipe:
- 2 pounds beef stew meat
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons butter or neutral flavored oil
- 1 large (8 ounce) onion, chopped
- 2 celery stalks, chopped
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 cup Guinness extra stout, or other stout
- 1 1/2 cups beef broth
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme or 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
- 2 large carrots, peeled and cut into chunks
- 1 cup of Mushrooms (optional)
- 1/2 pound potatoes, russet or golden, cut into chunks
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 2 teaspoons water
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
Method:
Pat the pieces of beef dry with a paper towel, then season them on all sides with the salt and pepper.
Select the high “Sauté” setting on the electric pressure cooker or cook in a frying pan and heat the butter or oil. Brown the beef in the butter in two batches, searing the pieces for four minutes per batch and flipping them halfway through cooking.
Add the onions and celery to the now-empty pressure cooker. Cook until the onions begin to soften and turn translucent, about four minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for another minute.
Pour in the Guinness. Use a stiff spatula to scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Let it simmer for five minutes to reduce the beer a bit, then stir in the reserved beef, beef broth, and thyme.
Stir for a few minutes then add the root vegetables and mushrooms. No need to stir.
Close lid and 35 mins on pressure cooker or three hours on a slow cooker.
When done, stir in corn starch to thicken the sauce and serve and sprinkle with parsley.