Irish Beef Stew

Irish Beef Stew - Seriously Soupy

For St. Patrick's Day this year I wanted to make a traditional Irish Beef Stew. Although this is a slight deviation from soup making, I thought it would be an interesting recipe to try out - using similar cooking techniques that I have been using on the site. For the stew, I used a flavorful base of onions, rosemary, garlic, parsley, tomato paste, thyme and bay leaves that was slowly cooked with beef tips and dark beer. The result was a distinctive and hearty stew that can be also made with mutton or lamb. Enjoy and Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Irish Beef Stew
Ingredients:
2 cups of water
drizzle of olive oil 
1 pound of beef stew meat, cut into 1-inch pieces 
1 large yellow onion, chopped up
2-3 stalks of carrots, peeled and chopped up2-3 potatoes, cut up (I kept the skins on)
4 cloves of garlic, minced 
1/2 bottle of dark beer- (I used Trader Joe's Black Toad Ale)
1 can of tomato paste 
1 tablespoon of thyme 
1 tablespoon of rosemary
2-4 bay leaves
Bunch of parsley, chopped
sea salt 
pepper

Directions:
Drizzle olive oil in a pot and chop up the onions and garlic and add them to a pot. Cook on medium heat and add in the thyme, bay leaves, rosemary, parsley, tomato paste and some water and let cook for 10-15 minutes. Cut up the carrots and potatoes. Stir the mixture and add them into the pan. Reduce flame and add in the beef and beer. Let cook for an hour, checking on it periodically and tasting as you go. Enjoy! 

Serve with Irish Soda Bread by Simple Bites.


Seriously Soupy Serena

Russian Beef and Cabbage Soup

The locally-sourced and produced Brooklyn Bouillon

The second favorite recipe at the soup party was this Russian beef and cabbage soup that was submitted by Rachael Mamane as an entry for the fall soup contest.  Coincidentally Rachael also happens to the founder of a new locally-sourced broth company called Brooklyn Bouillon that includes a product line of beef, chicken, duck, lamb, bison, turkey, lobster and vegetable stock and veal demi-glace from farms such as Grazin' Angus and DiPaolo Turkey. So not only would I be trying a 100 percent brand new soup, I would be testing out her bouillon that is expected to hit the shelves at Eataly as well as launch later this year.

I used grass-fed beef, which Rachael stated provides a richness to the soup that when paired with the cabbage and vinegar provides a natural tang - as opposed to using sauerkraut. I also used a mixed variety of heirloom tomatoes and an interesting combination of sugar, red pepper flakes and simple flavorings like salt and pepper. For this recipe, I started making the soup a day before the party and allowing it to sit overnight in its juices really enhanced the flavoring and texture of the soup causing it to easily fall apart, which Rachael also said this allows for any excess fat to make its way to the surface. Although this was the second soup voted in the taster's choice poll, it was the first one to go at the party and a recipe that is easy to make on your first try. I also found that the bouillon naturally enhanced the soup -- complementing the beef and added a rich and vibrant taste to the soup. Sadly with the franticness of making four soups over of the course of two days,  I didn't manage to take a picture of the completed process, but I do have step-by-step pictures of how to make it. I hope you enjoy the hearty fall soup, and as soon as Brooklyn Bouillon is up and running you'll have a delicious stock to work with.