There’s nothing like a hearty stew to both ring in St. Paddy’s Day and warm your bones on a frigid March night. This recipe, courtesy of Northern Maverick Brewing Co., contains the essential ingredient for classic Irish lamb stew…beer! (Oh, yeah, and some lamb.)

Try it along with a deep glass of Northern Maverick Tsar Wars Imperial Stout. While you eat, read my tasting notes for Northern Maverick’s other brews. Sláinte!

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Northern Maverick Brewing Co.’s Stout Stew

2 tbsp Canola Oil
2 – 2.5 lbs Ontario Lamb Shoulder, large diced 
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped 
2 large Spanish Onion, diced
2 large carrot, diced
3 stalks celery, chopped
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 bottle Northern Maverick Stout
1/4 cup tomato paste 
1L veal stock 
4 sprigs rosemary
3 sprigs thyme 
Salt and pepper

Season the diced lamb (about 2″ cubes) heavily with salt and pepper. In a large pot on high heat, with some canola oil, sear the Lamb in batches so as to not overcrowd the pot. Ensure an even and thorough browning. Remove to the side when evenly seared, and repeat with the rest of the Lamb.

Lowering the heat to medium, sauté the diced onion and garlic until lightly golden. Add diced carrots and celery, and sauté until lightly softened. Add the all purpose flour, stirring well to cook out the flour for about 1 minute.

While constantly stirring, slowly add the veal stock, and the Northern Maverick Stout. Stirring constantly keep the flour from forming large clumps.

Once the stock and Stout have been evenly incorporated, add the seared lamb to the pot. Once everything comes up to a simmer, lower the heat to a minimum and cover with a tight-fitting lid. Let simmer for about 2 hours.

After 2 hours of cooking, check the tenderness of the lamb. If it’s not quite falling apart yet, allow to cook for another 30-40 minutes. If the broth is too thin, then keep the lid off during this time. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper to taste.

Serve with a side of mashed potatoes. If you prefer having potatoes in the stew, add 1 lb of Yukon Gold mini/baby potatoes at the same time that the lamb is added back to the broth.