Irish Stew Braised in Merlot

A traditional Irish stew is the ultimate in comfort food. This particular recipe pairs perfectly with our Kissan Vineyards Merlot. You won't have to wear a shirt that says "Kiss Me I am Irish" because trust us, everyone will be showing affection for the cook!

Irish stew needs only a few ingredients: meat, onions and potatoes, with salt and pepper. In southern Ireland, carrots are added. We admit, this recipe is a little more reminiscent of Beef Bourguignon as we like to serve it with the potatoes on the side and a healthy dose of bacon to play on the well integrated oak in our wine.

When cooking with wine, we firmly believe in using the same wine that you would like to drink with your meal as your braising or deglazing liquid. This helps to carry all flavours through the dish to create a perfect pairing experience.

Your only regret will be that you didn't grab two bottles and made double the recipe.

Ingredients

2.5lb Beef Chuck Roast - cut into 1" cubes
1 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tsp salt
1 Tsp pepper
1 Tsp garlic powder
1 Tsp onion powder
2 onions - diced
4 large carrots - chopped
2 celery stalks - chopped
4 slices of bacon - finely diced
3 Tbsp flour
4 Tbsp tomato paste
4 cloves roasted garlic
1 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
3/4 Cup Beef Stock
1 1/2 Cups Kissan Vineyards Merlot
3 Bay Leaves
4 Sprigs Fresh Thyme

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 325F. Once hot roast garlic cloves until soft and slightly browned - approximately 12mins. Set aside.

2. Season 1" cubes of beef with salt, pepper, garlic powder and onion powder

3. In a dutch oven or other oven safe pot, heat butter and oil together over medium high heat.

4. Add beef in batches and brown on all sides. Once meat is browned, remove and set aside.

5. Reduce heat to medium and add diced onions. Sauté onions until slightly translucent.

6. Add bacon, carrots, and celery and continue to cook for 5 mins.
Carefully stir in flour and cook for an additional 5 mins on medium heat. Stir in tomato paste.

7. Deglaze with Kissan Vineyards Merlot, add Worchestershire Sauce, and beef broth, stirring well to incorporate all browned bits from the bottom of your pan.

8. Return beef to stewing pot. Adjust liquid level with additional stock or wine to ensure that the beef is just covered.

9. Add Bay leaves and thyme and stir.

10. Cook uncovered in oven for 2hrs at 325F

11. Remove Bay Leaves and Thyme sprigs. Stir in peas and let rest for 15-20 minutes before serving on top of mashed potatoes or wide egg noodles.

12. Enjoy with a healthy glass of Kissan Vineyards Merlot!

Enjoy!