Description
This hearty Slow Cooker Irish Lamb Stew with Barley is a comforting and flavorful dish featuring tender lamb shoulder, potatoes, carrots, barley, and aromatic herbs slow-cooked to perfection. Perfect for a warming main course, it combines traditional Irish flavors with the convenience of slow cooking.
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 Seasonings
- 3 vegetable stock cubes or equivalent vegetable stock dissolved in 3 cups boiling water
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 2 to 3 tablespoons sunflower oil for frying the meat
Instructions
- Prepare Ingredients: Cut the lamb into cubes, removing any excess fat, and pat dry with paper towels. Peel and chop the vegetables as specified, and mince the garlic. Dissolve the vegetable stock cubes in 3 cups of boiling water to prepare the stock.
- Coat the Meat: Mix the salt, pepper, thyme, and flour together in a bowl. Coat each piece of lamb thoroughly with this seasoned flour mixture.
- Brown the Meat: Heat sunflower oil in a large frying pan over high heat. Fry the coated lamb cubes in batches, turning them with a spatula, until browned on all sides. Avoid overcrowding the pan and maintain high heat to ensure proper browning. Transfer each batch of browned meat to the slow cooker.
- Add Barley and Vegetables: Once all the meat is browned and in the slow cooker, add the pearl barley, quartered potatoes, sliced carrots, chopped onion, and celery.
- Add Stock and Seasonings: Pour in the prepared vegetable stock along with the Worcestershire sauce and minced garlic. Stir everything together to combine.
- Slow Cook: Cook the stew on low heat for 8 hours or on high heat for 6 hours, referencing your slow cooker’s manual for exact times to ensure tenderness.
- Add Peas and Finish: About 10 minutes before serving, stir in half a cup of frozen peas. Taste the stew and adjust the seasoning with additional salt if needed.
- Serve: Serve the Irish lamb stew hot, ideally accompanied by crusty bread rolls for a complete meal.
Notes
- If you prefer cooking on the stove, place all ingredients in a large saucepan with a tight-fitting lid. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer gently, covered, for 1.5 to 2 hours until the meat is tender, adding extra stock if necessary to prevent drying out.
- You can substitute lamb with beef cuts such as chuck, flank, sirloin, brisket, or shin for a different flavor profile.
- This stew freezes well for up to 4 months. Defrost in the refrigerator and reheat gently in a saucepan, adding extra stock if needed for desired consistency.
- Make sure to brown the meat properly to enhance the flavor and avoid boiling the meat by maintaining high heat and not overloading the pan.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 529 kcal
- Sugar: 5 g
- Sodium: 650 mg
- Fat: 25 g
- Saturated Fat: 7 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 15 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 40 g
- Fiber: 6 g
- Protein: 38 g
- Cholesterol: 95 mg
