Irish Stew (As Grandpa Made It in the Army)

For cold nights, empty cupboards, and full hearts.

Ingredients:

• 500g mutton or lamb shoulder, cut into chunks (or beef if that’s what you had)

• 3–4 potatoes, peeled and cut into quarters

• 2 carrots, sliced thick

• 1 large onion, roughly chopped

• 1 can of baked beans

• 1 clove garlic (optional, if available)

• 2 tbsp flour (for thickening)

• Salt and black pepper to taste

• Water or basic stock (enough to cover ingredients)

• A bay leaf or sprig of thyme if available

• A dash of Worcestershire sauce (if you had access—otherwise, a squeeze of lime or tamarind water was used to brighten)

Optional, if on hand:

• Cabbage or celery, chopped

• Knob of margarine or dripping

• Old crust of bread or leftover rice to serve on the side

Instructions:

1. Brown the meat (if oil or fat was available): In a heavy-bottomed pot, sear the meat with a bit of dripping or margarine until browned. Add the onions and garlic, and sauté until soft. If there was no oil, skip the browning and go straight to boiling—it’ll still taste like home.

2. Add flour: Sprinkle the flour over and stir to coat the meat and onions. This helps thicken the stew later.

3. Simmer low and slow: Add enough water or stock to just cover everything. Stir in carrots and potatoes and baked beans. Toss in a bay leaf or herb if you had it. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer, covered, for 1.5–2 hours until the meat is tender and the broth thickens into gravy.

4. Stretch the stew: If there were extra mouths to feed, Grandpa would toss in chopped cabbage or extra water and mash a bit of the potato to bulk it up.

5. Taste and adjust: Add a dash of Worcestershire or a squeeze of lime if it needed brightness. Serve hot with bread, biscuits, or rice—whatever was on hand.