Guinness Lamb Stew

Preheat oven to 300ºF.

Ingredients

4 lamb shanks
1 can Guinness beer
3 qts. beef stock
2 yellow onions, chopped
5 carrots, peeled, 2 chopped, 3 cut into bite size pieces
1 small-medium turnip, peeled & cut into ½ inch cubes
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 Tbsp. tomato paste
4 cloves garlic
1 Tbsp. thyme, chopped and stems discarded
1 Tbsp. parsley, chopped and stems discarded
1 tsp. rosemary, chopped and stems discarded
2 bay leaves
½ cup flour
3 Tbsp. olive oil
salt and pepper

Method

Heat the oil in a shallow wide pot (Dutch oven) over medium-high heat. Sprinkle the lamb shanks with salt and pepper. Place carefully in the pot and brown evenly. Remove lamb and set aside.

Pour off and reserve all but 1 Tbsp. of the oil. Add the onions, 2 chopped carrots, celery and garlic. Cook until vegetables become golden brown, about 10 to 12 minutes. Add the herb stems, bay leave, tomato paste, and the beer. Cook for 1 minute. Add the stock and the lamb and bring to a boil (the liquid should be just to the top of the lamb). Turn off heat and cover with foil. Place in the oven and cook until the lamb is tender and just starting to fall off the bone, about 2 hours.

Meanwhile, place the reserved oil in a a small pot and hat over low heat. Slowly whisk in the flour until it thickens to a paste, (don’t add it all right away, you may not need to). Continue stirring until the “roux” is golden brown and has a slightly nutty aroma. Set aside. When the lamb is ready, remove and set it aside. Strain the liquid into a large pot and discard all the solids. Bring the stock to almost a boil and add the turnips. Simmer until turnip is just starting to become tender, about 10 to 12 minutes.

Meanwhile, remove the lamb from the bone and discard bones and any fatty pieces, Add the carrots and cook until both are tender, about 10 minutes. Remove the vegetables and set aside with the lamb. Bring the stock to a light boil and slowly whisk in some of the roux. The stock should thicken to a gravy (you might not need all of the roux). Add the lamb and the vegetable mixture and the herbs. Remove from heat and add salt and pepper to taste. (Extra gravy freezes well.) Serve and enjoy!