Irish stew
Irish stew or stobhach is a stew from Ireland that is traditionally made with root vegetables and lamb or mutton, but in modern times also it is commonly made with beef. As in all traditional folk dishes, the exact recipe is not consistent from time to time or place to place. Basic ingredients include lamb or mutton, as well as potatoes, onions, and parsley. It may sometimes also include carrots. Irish stew is also made with kid. Irish stew is considered a national dish of Ireland.
History
Stewing is an ancient method of cooking meats that is common throughout the world. After the idea of the cauldron was imported from continental Europe and Britain, the cauldron became the dominant cooking tool in ancient Ireland, with ovens being practically unknown to the ancient Gaels. The cauldron, along with flesh-hooks for suspending the meat, eventually became preferred over the spit for feasting purposes, as evidenced by archaeological findings that indicate a predominance of flesh hooks over roasting spits in Ireland and Britain. Many food historians believe that goat was originally the meat of choice, eventually being supplanted by beef and mutton.The root vegetables and meat for the stew were then all in place, save for the potato, which was introduced to Ireland around the 16th century during the Columbian exchange.
Old Irish recipes are scarce, due to poor documentation, but the first such recipe for Irish stew dates to the 1600s, from southern Ireland, by the O'Brien family. First compiled by the Countess of Thomond, 1684–1734. It says, "To make an Irish stew of mutton
Season the bones of a neck of mutton with pepper and salt, put it down
with a layer of onions, put them in covered stewpan, to keep in the
steam & as much water as will cover it. The chops must be very tender, but as they are all put down together, the potatoes must be taken out
first, as they burst".
A 19th-century American recipe was recorded by Helen Stuart Campbell, a professor of domestic science at Kansas State Agricultural College. According to Campbell the stew was made with boneless beef or mutton, trimmed of fat and cut into small cubes, less than one inch square. To its broth were added onions and potatoes, and carrots, with a simple seasoning of salt and pepper. This stew was gently simmered for several hours and thickened with flour before serving.
Laws and regulations
Canada
According to Canadian regulations, for commercially produced Irish stew to be labeled as such, it must contain at least 20% mutton, lamb and/or beef, and 30% vegetables. It may also include gravy, salt, various seasonings, and spices.General and cited references
Category:American stews
Category:Beef dishes
Category:Canadian cuisine
Category:Northern Irish cuisine
Category:Irish cuisine
Category:Irish meat dishes
Category:Lamb dishes
Category:Meat stews
Category:National dishes
Category:Meat and potatoes dishes