Dark Stout Lamb Stew

What I love about Icelandic lamb is how versatile it is to cook with. It's milder than regular lamb you find in the store, and with Icelandics, even mutton is equally delicious. And with St. Patrick's Day right around the corner, what a great recipe to kick off our blog!

I'm not going to wax poetic about how yummy it is, because . . . it's just the best of comfort food. Making this in the crockpot means you can make it in the morning and leave it all day. And when I post recipes, know that with all cooking, you can customize the recipe to your tastes. Want your own grass-fed Icelandic lamb for your freezer in the fall? We have a waiting list for whole and half orders - so let us know!

I hate blogs that go on and on about a recipe and you have to keep scrolling down the page trying to reach the good stuff. So without further ado, here it is!

 Dark Stout Lamb Stew

Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

1 pound of lamb, cubed (or you can use beef)
1/8 C of flour (or gluten-free all-purpose flour)
1 pinch of salt
1 pinch of black pepper
1 tsp Penzey's Lamb Seasoning (optional)
1 T vegetable oil
1 T tomato paste
1/4 c water
1 can of beef stock
1 bottle of stout (like Guinness)
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 bay leaf
2 tsp dried thyme, or 3-4 sprigs of fresh thyme
2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
2 tsp Balsamic vinegar (the really good thick stuff)
2 carrots, sliced thin rounds
1/2 package of mushrooms, sliced in quarters (big can be cut into eighths)
1/3 package of frozen peas
salt and pepper to taste

Cube your lamb and pat dry with a paper towel. Put lamb in a medium-sized bowl and toss with flour, salt, pepper and optional lamb seasoning.

Heat a skillet with vegetable oil to hot. Brown lamb cubes until all sides are caramelized. Add tomato paste and mix with lamb. Transfer lamb into crockpot.

Keep heat going on skillet and pour water and scrape up fond until water boils. Pour over lamb in crockpot. Add beef stock, stout, onion, garlic, thyme, bay leaf, and Worcestershire sauce. Turn crockpot on low and forget about it for at least five hours.

When you get home, or after five hours, turn heat to high and add mushrooms and carrots. Also give a taste. This is when I add Balsamic vinegar to sweeten and add depth and add more salt and pepper as needed. Cook until soft, about 45 minutes to an hour. Add peas and cook until warm (about 10 minutes).

Serve over mashed potatoes (homemade or store bought), or in a bowl with a side of crusty bread.

Optional method: You can also use a shoulder of lamb in the oven. I season the shoulder with salt, pepper and lamb seasoning and put in a Dutch oven without a lid. I cook at 450F for 45 minutes to brown. Take the pot out of the oven, turn the heat down to 250F, and add remaining ingredients (except carrots, mushrooms, peas), cover and put back into oven. When tender, I take out bones, shred meat, and then add vegetables and cook the last hour (except peas).