After some experimentation and a lot of research into Irish stews, I’ve settled on a stew that has its roots in the traditional approach, but takes a few detours to add a bit more flavor. Traditionally, Irish stew is made with mature lamb (year old) or mutton, potatoes, onions, and water, and is simply cooked low and slow. Where we make embellishments with this recipe is that we work with lamb shoulder, the meat is browned first, in bacon fat, and carrots, bacon, and thyme are all added. All of these steps are to bring a richer flavor to the stew! (If you want, you can skip any or all of these additions.) Turnips are strongly flavored and add a good balance for the stew, so use them if you can. A waxy potato like a Yukon gold will hold up better for long cooking, but you can also use a starchy potato like a Russet, it will likely fall apart a bit, but that just thickens the stew. More barley will thicken the stew further. Place the cooked bacon strips on a paper-towel-lined plate to absorb the excess fat. Chop the bacon and set aside. Working in batches as to not crowd the pan, brown the lamb pieces on all sides, taking care not to stir the lamb pieces so they can get sufficiently browned.
