Name: Traditional Irish strew
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 1 h 50 min
Total time: 2 h 15 min
Cuisine: Irish
Ingredients: 600 g Irish beef; 3-4 tsp salt; 2-4 cups water; 3-4 cups beef stock; 4 cloves garlic; 1/4 tsp black pepper; 1 tbsp parsley; 1/2 onion, chopped; 1 carrot, chopped; 1.4 kg potatoes, quartered; 1 tbsp tomato paste

Anybody who grew up in an Irish home would know that stews were a part of growing up in the Emerald Isle. It's a good aul Irish tradition that you need to experience at least once in your life.

Historically, a good Irish stew is made with potatoes, onions, carrots, beef stock, thinly sliced leeks, barley, and a meat of the chef's choice. Most people cooking it will go with beef or lamb. To get the stew's texture and taste correctly, cook it slowly over a low heat. Using a slow cooker is the best option. While you might feel like a couple of hours on the slow cooker will do, it’s best you leave it for 8 to 12 hours to get it perfect.

A popular side is a couple of slices of Brennan's bread, which is Ireland's leading bread brand. It can be found in any major supermarket across the country. If you're not comfortable making your own stew, there are many places you can find selling stew throughout Ireland and in the capital of Dublin. The Old Mill Restaurant, close to the Ha'penney Bridge, serves some of the best in the country and is well worth a look at.

Directions

Cover the beef with salt and pepper.

Heat the olive oil in a pot and when it's ready, add the beef to it.

Wait until the beef changes colour, then add the garlic, beef stock, water, onions and carrots.

Stir it all together, lower the temperature and bring to a simmer. Let it simmer for an hour.

Add the potatoes along with your remaining salt and pepper.

Leave it to simmer for another 40 minutes.

Serve the stew hot with bread.