Meat's

IRISH BEEF STEW WITH GUINNESS STOUT

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 3 bay leaves
• 2 lbs beef stew meat, cut into 1 1/2
  inch to 2 inch cubes (with some fat)
  
• 1 large yellow onion, peeled and
  cut into 1/4 inch slices
  
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
• 1 tsp dried thyme, whole
• 1 tsp dried rosemary
• 2-3 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup beef stock
• 1/2 cup Guinness stout
• 1 tbsp chopped parsley
• 1/2 lb carrots, sliced
• salt & freshly ground black
  pepper to taste
  

Heat a 6-quart stove-top casserole
and add the oil and the bay leaves.
Cook the bay leaves for a moment and
then add the meat. Brown the meat on
both sides on high heat. Add the
sliced onion and cook for a few minutes
until it is clear. Reduce the heat to
low and add the garlic, thyme,
rosemary and flour, and stir well until
smooth.
Add the beef stock and stout; simmer,
stirring, until the stew thickens a
bit. Add the remaining ingredients
and cover. Place the pot in a 275 F
oven (yes, the book says 275 F) for
about 2 hours, stirring a couple of
times. Check for salt and pepper
before serving.

Serves 4-6

Irish Pot-roasted Chicken

Servings: 4

• Chicken, about 4.5 lb
• 4 oz Oatmeal
• Medium onion, chopped
• 2 T Butter
• 3 T Stock
• Salt and pepper
• 6 oz Bacon
• 3 x Med. onions, sliced
• 2 lb Potatoes
• Seasoned flour
• 3 T Dripping or oil
• 4 x Med. carrots, sliced

If there are giblets with the bird,
take them out, wash all but the liver
(reserve that for another use), and
cover with water, add salt and pepper,
bring to the boil and simmer for half
an hour. Wipe the bird inside and out
and remove any lumps of fat from the
inside; sprinkle with salt. Mix
together the oatmeal, chopped onion,
butter or suet, stock, and seasoning,
stuff the bird with this mixture and
secure well. Heat the dripping or
oil and lightly fry the bacon, then
chop and put into a casserole.
Quickly brown the bird in the same
fat and put on top of the bacon.
Soften the onion and briefly saute
the carrots, then add to the casserole.
Strain the giblet stock and make it up
to about 1/2 liter. Heat and pour
over the chicken. Cover and cook in a
moderate oven (350C) for about an
hour. Meanwhile, cut the potatoes into
thick slices and blanch them in boiling
water, or steam them for about 5 minutes.
Toss them in seasoned flour and add them
to the casserole, adding a little more
of the giblet stock if needed. Cover
with buttered wax paper and continue
cooking for another 1/2 hour, taking off
the paper for the last few minutes for
browning.