Irish Stew

A humble, hearty stew of lamb or mutton slow-cooked with potatoes, onions and carrots until the broth turns rich and thick.

Irish stew traces back to the cooking of rural Ireland, where mutton from older sheep no longer useful for wool was simmered for hours to tenderize it, alongside the potatoes that became central to the Irish diet from the 17th century onward. Early versions were extremely simple — meat, potatoes, onions and water — since more elaborate ingredients were often unaffordable for the rural poor. The dish became a national symbol partly through necessity: it required little more than a pot, a fire and time, and it turned inexpensive cuts of meat into a filling meal. Today lamb is more commonly used than mutton, and the dish is served in homes and pubs across Ireland.

Traditional versions use mutton or lamb neck and shoulder, cooked low and slow until the meat falls apart. The potatoes should partly break down into the broth to naturally thicken it. Pearl barley is a common but optional addition; carrots were a later addition in many households.