With St. Patrick’s Day approaching, it’s that time of year when everyone is a little bit Irish. As for us, we typically stock up on the Guinness and boil up some corned beef and cabbage in a big pot that we trot out only a few times each year. This St. Patty’s Day, though, we decided to change things up. So, we made a trip over to the Clarendon outpost of Rí Rá — one in a chain of traditional Irish pubs — for some inspiration. Besides, we’d already been to Eamonn’s and wanted to do some exploring.

As we sipped on our pints of Irish beer, we perused Rí Rá’s menu — which featured everything from the traditionally Irish (fish and chips, Irish potato cakes) to the traditionally greasy American (pub wings with Guinness BBQ sauce). Thinking about which dishes would allow us to keep our big pot in play, we decided on making our version of their Irish Lamb Stew.

Back in the day, Irish stew developed out of necessity. Pre-potato famine, Irish folks had to make good use of the only ingredients that were easily accessible and cheap: sheep and potatoes. In our research, we came across a few variations, some adding “fancier” ingredients such as parsnips, but we thought we’d stick to the basics: only a few root vegetables, lamb, bacon, and herbs for flavoring. We served it up with a side of Irish brown bread and none other than a pint o’ Guinness. We suggest making a large batch (this recipe will serve about 10) because it tastes even better the next day.

Shopping List
1 lb. bacon
4 lb. boneless leg of lamb
2 lg. onions
1 lb. carrots
2 lg. potatoes
4 cloves of garlic
1 Tbsp. butter
fresh thyme
fresh rosemary
2 dry bay leaves
salt
pepper
1 c. dry white wine
¼ c. all-purpose flour
1 qt. beef broth
1 loaf of Irish brown bread
large pot