Description
A hearty and comforting slow cooker Irish lamb stew made with tender lamb shoulder, pearl barley, and a medley of seasonal vegetables, simmered slowly in flavorful vegetable stock and Worcestershire sauce for a rich and satisfying meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Meat and Coating
- 2 pounds lamb shoulder cubed and visible fat removed
- ⅓ cup flour for coating the lamb
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
Vegetables and Grains
- 1 pound potatoes peeled and quartered
- ½ pound carrots peeled and thickly sliced
- 1 large white onion peeled and coarsely chopped
- 2 large stalks celery chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- ¼ cup pearl barley
Liquids and Flavorings
- 3 vegetable stock cubes dissolved in 3 cups boiling water
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 2 to 3 tablespoons sunflower oil for frying the meat
- ½ cup frozen peas (added near end)
Instructions
- Prepare Ingredients: Cut the lamb into cubes, removing any excess fat and pat dry with paper towels. Peel and chop the potatoes, carrots, onion, and celery. Mince the garlic. Dissolve the vegetable stock cubes in 3 cups of boiling water.
- Coat the Meat: Combine salt, pepper, dried thyme, and flour in a bowl. Thoroughly coat each piece of lamb in this flour mixture.
- Brown the Meat: Heat the sunflower oil in a large frying pan over high heat. Fry the lamb cubes in batches, turning with a spatula, until browned on all sides. Avoid overcrowding the pan to ensure proper browning. Transfer each batch into the slow cooker.
- Assemble the Stew: Once all the browned lamb is in the slow cooker, add the pearl barley along with the chopped potatoes, carrots, onion, celery, and minced garlic.
- Add Liquids and Seasoning: Pour in the dissolved vegetable stock and Worcestershire sauce. Stir everything to combine.
- Cook the Stew: Cover and cook on low for 8 hours or on high for 6 hours, depending on your slow cooker instructions.
- Finish the Stew: Ten minutes before serving, stir in half a cup of frozen peas and cook until heated through. Taste the stew and add extra salt if needed.
- Serve: Serve the Irish lamb stew hot, ideally with crusty bread rolls to soak up the delicious broth.
Notes
- For stovetop cooking, place all ingredients in a large saucepan with a tight-fitting lid. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer and cook for 1½ to 2 hours until meat is tender, topping up with extra stock as needed.
- You can substitute lamb with beef cuts like chuck, flank, sirloin, brisket, or shin.
- Freeze leftover stew for up to 4 months. Defrost in the refrigerator and reheat in a saucepan until piping hot, adding stock if necessary.
- Ensure to brown the meat well to develop rich flavor and avoid boiling the meat which results in less depth.
- Adding the peas near the end maintains their color and texture.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 529 kcal
- Sugar: 5 g
- Sodium: 480 mg
- Fat: 22 g
- Saturated Fat: 7 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 13 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 45 g
- Fiber: 6 g
- Protein: 38 g
- Cholesterol: 95 mg
