The weather has finally gotten cold enough to justify a big pot of my favorite Irish stew down here in Georgia. I don’t know where this recipe came from originally and it’s not really fixed in stone. It’s mostly about a rich, thick tomato based sauce and whatever root veggies you have handy. It takes a few more steps than your average throw-it-all-in-the-pot-and-forget-about-it stew, but it’s well worth it.

This stew also freezes well and can be made in double or even triple batches and then reheated on the stove or microwave on those cold nights that you don’t really feel like cooking.

You can use whatever combination of root veggies that you want but my standard combination includes potatoes, parsnips, onions, and carrots.

Also, it’s best served with a chunk of fresh-from-the-oven Irish Soda Bread

[lt_recipe name=”Irish Stew” servings=”4-6″ prep_time=”30 MIN” cook_time=”2 HRS” total_time=”2:30″ difficulty=”Medium” summary=”A rich, thick, tomato based stew. ” print=”yes” ingredients=”1.5 lbs beef chuck or other stew meat, cubed;2-3 lbs potatoes, peeled and cubed;1 large yellow onion, diced;1 lb carrots, peeled and sliced;1/2 lb parsnips, peeled and sliced;1 can Guinness stout;4 cups beef stock;1 6oz can tomato paste;4-6 cloves of garlic, minced;2-3 bay leaves;1 tbsp oil (your preferred cooking oil);2 tbsp butter” ]Heat a large dutch oven over medium high heat. ;Season the beef with salt and pepper and then sear in batches in the oil in the hot dutch oven. Do not cook the meat through – just get a rich brown color on the outside.;Add the minced garlic and stir it into the beef for 2-3 mins.;Add the tomato paste to the pot, stir it in with the beef cubes and garlic and cook until the paste turns a dark red color. ;Add the can of Guinness and the beef stock and the bay leaves, lower to a simmer and cover to cook for 1 hour.;In the meanwhile, heat a large frying pan or cast iron skillet over medium heat and add half the butter and the diced onion. ;Cook until the onion begins to turn translucent (do not let it brown). ;Once the onion begins to soften, add the rest of the butter, the carrots, and the parsnips. Cover and cook for 15 mins, just until the carrots and parsnips begin to soften.;Once the stew meat has simmered for an hour, add the sauteed veggies and the potato to the pot. ;Cover and simmer until the potatoes are just tender. ;Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve with a chunk of Irish soda bread or a crusty chunk of French loaf. [/lt_recipe]