A friend of mine always said that you should tackle March like an Irishwoman—and by that she meant, sitting in front of the fire with a pot of tea (and maybe some scones), a couple of balls of yarn, and a crochet hook, with an Irish stew bubbling away on the stove. I suppose a proper Irishwoman would be using knitting needles instead, but as knitting remains a mystery I have yet to unravel, I will have to make do with a crochet hook. Irish stew, on the other hand, I can manage quite nicely. This year we were blessed with a long fall, and the local Brussels sprouts lasted through December. They were cheap and all over the Public Market and I got used to cooking with them. When I saw some (probably not local) at the market the other day, I grabbed them up for my Irish stew. Cabbage would work just as well. The trick to this stew, my mother taught me, is to sauté the vegetables in butter, browning them slightly, before you add them into the stew. It improves the flavor, helps avoid mushy vegetables, and makes the whole house smell warm and inviting.
Put a tablespoon or two of butter into the pot–I use my big cast iron pot–and cook the onions. Remove the onions, add more butter if necessary, and cook the Brussels sprouts (or cabbage.) Remove the Brussels sprouts, add more butter if necessary,and cook the carrots. Use plenty of butter (I like from grass-fed cows for this recipe and it will give the whole thing a nice, wholesome taste. If you have time—which I never do—you can cook the potatoes the same way. Sautéing the onions, Brussels sprouts (or cabbage), and carrots is important; sautéing the potatoes isn’t so much. Remove the last of the vegetables (don’t add more butter this time) and put about a pound of stew meat in the pot to brown. I usually use venison, but grass-fed beef or lamb would be just as good. Once the meat is browned, put the vegetables back in the pot. Add the potatoes if you haven’t already cooked them, and add just enough water to keep everything from sticking. About a quarter cup of red wine is good, too.
Once the stew is boiling, turn it to low and sit down with a glass of wine, or another cup of tea, and wait until either the potatoes turn mushy or it is time to eat.
Enjoy a nice bowl of stew (maybe with some brown bread and plenty of butter) to chase away the chill of a March evening. If you liked this post, please share it!
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I love Irish Stew, what a great idea to use brussels sprouts, that sounds yummy. I love Kerrygold Butter as well. 🙂 I just started a new link-up – Meal Planning Monday Recipe Link-Up, and would love to invite you to share your delicious stew recipe at my linky party. 🙂 http://www.aprilshomemaking.com/2014/03/meal-planning-monday-recipe-link-up.html
Thanks for the invitation! 🙂
Yep, definitely gonna have to try this. 🙂 Thanks for sharing it at !
Thanks! You’ll have to let me know how you like it! 🙂
This looks fantastic! My husband and I love brussel sprouts! I’m definitely pinning this to try later 🙂
Thank you! Brussels sprouts are one of those poor vegetables with a reputation for being terrible — and they are really amazingly delicious! I hope you enjoy this stew as much as my family does! 🙂
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Yum! LOVE Brussels sprouts. I don’t know why, but I never thought to put them in a stew! Can’t wait to try it!
Thanks! That’s the way I felt when I first decided to put them in stew! 🙂
I really like brussel sprouts, but I can’t get my husband to eat them. This sounds a wonderful healthy and delicious recipes. Shared on Pintereest. Thanks for sharing on Real Food Fridays Blog Hop. Hope to see you each week
My husband used to be the same way, but now he loves them! So don’t give up hope just yet! 😉
Wow, this stew looks super tasty!! I love the wit in your writing too. Had never heard the saying, “tackle March like an Irish woman.” Love it!
Thanks for sharing on Natural Living Monday!
Ha! Thank you! 🙂
You can’t do March without Irish stew… and rubber boots!
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My family loves brussel spouts Will have to try this
This looks really good, especially with it being so cold out! I think my mom would love this recipe too :). Thanks so much for sharing at the MaMade Blog Hop! I hope you’re having a great week 🙂
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This looks delicious! Thanks so much for sharing on The HomeAcre Hop! I hope to see you back again today. 🙂
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