The defining element of Irish stew is the use of lamb neck, or scrag.

Traditionally it is made more like a casserole than a stew.  Actually it bares an uncanny resemblance to boulangère potatoes.  Lamb, potato rounds, and other vegetables are layered in a casserole, then covered with stock or water and baked in an oven.

Lamb neck is a very tough cut of meat.  I sear and braise the necks to tenderize, then use the shredded meat and cooking liquid to make the stew.

Once the necks are very tender to the tip of a paring knife, I remove them from the liquid and let cool briefly.  While the necks are still warm I fold back the meat and remove the neck bones in one piece.  There is also a large band of yellowish elastin that should be removed.  You can see it running down the centre of the neck meat below:

 

Irish Stew

Ingredients

• 2 lamb necks
• 75 g bacon fat
• 240 g yellow onion, 3/4″ dice (roughly 1 large onion)
• 3 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 200 g carrot, 3/4″ dice (about 3 medium carrots)
• 200 g celery, 3/4″ dice (about 2 large ribs celery)
• 1/2 tbsp dried herbs (I use a mix of thyme, rosemary, and savoury)
• 75 g all-purpose flour
• 1 x 341 mL bottle ale
• 375 g turnip, 1″ dice (rutabaga for all you moderns…. about 1 medium rutabaga)
• 425 g yellow potato, 1″ dice (about 2 smallish potatoes)
• spinach or kale

Procedure

Part One: Cooking the Necks to obtain super tender meat and flavourful broth

1. Season the lamb necks with salt and pepper.  Sear, either in a pan or a very hot oven, until amber in colour.
2. Transfer the seared scrags to a pot.  Cover with cold water and put over medium-high heat.  Bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat to maintain a very gentle simmer.  Regularly skim the surface of the water with a ladle to remove foam and fat.
3. Gently simmer the scrags until very tender when poked with a knife.  This will take at least a few hours.
4. Remove the necks from the liquid.  Let cool, then remove the meat from the necks.  Vertebrae and a very hard bit of yellowish connective tissue.  Reserve 450 g shredded meat for the stew.  The rest of the meat can be used for other preparations.
5. Reserve 1 L of the cooking liquid for the stew.  The remainder of the liquid can be reserved for another purpose.

Part Two: Making the Stew

1. Melt bacon fat in a separate pot.  Add the onion, garlic, carrot, celery, and dried herbs.  Sweat the vegetables until the onions are starting to turn translucent.
2. Add the flour and cook briefly.
3. Slowly add the ale while stirring.  A thick sauce should form.
4. Slowly add the 1 L of lamb stock.  Return mix to a gentle simmer.
5. Add turnips and potatoes.  Return mix to a gentle simmer.  Simmer until turnips and potatoes are tender.