Maggie Kerrigan's Irish Beef Stew

I found this great recipe for Irish beef stew in our local Henderson magazine last year. The original recipe is from "Elegant Irish Cooking." Serve in a deep dish. This hearty dish makes a filling meal and is usually served with hot crusty bread.


2 1/2 pounds of boneless beef (rump or chuck)
1/4 C flour
4 T olive oil
2 cloves, crushed
3 C brown beef stock
1 bay leaf
1/2 t salt
1/4 t ground black pepper
3 slices lean bacon
2 small onions
18 button mushrooms
4 T tomato paste
12 small potatoes
4 T butter
2 t chopped parsley

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Cut beef into large cubes and roll them into flour. In a large skillet over high heat, fry meat cubes in olive oil until browned on all sides. Add garlic and cook with beef, one minute. Remove beef from the skillet and place in a 3 quart oven proof casserole. Bring stock to a boil. Add meat to cover, along with the bay leaf, salt and pepper. Stir well, cover with a lid and cook in the oven for around one hour. Slice the bacon into 1 inch segments and fry in a skillet over medium heat with onions and mushrooms about 2 minutes. Pour off and discard the fat. Stir in the tomato paste. Add to stew. Continue cooking until the meat is tender. Around one hour. Skim fat. Peel potatoes and in a separate saucepan, boil 10-12 minutes or until tender. Drain, toss in butter with parsley. Arrange over top of casserole when fully cooked.