Irish Stew

Inspired by McGuire's Irish Pub

serves 10

Ingredients:
* 1 1/2 lbs thickly sliced bacon, diced
* 6 lbs boneless lamb shoulder, cut into 2 inch pieces
* 1/2 t salt
* 1/2 t ground black pepper
* 1/2 c all-purpose flour
* 3 cloves garlic, minced
* 1 large onion, chopped
* 1/2 c water
* 4 c beef stock
* 2 t white sugar
* 4 c diced carrots
* 2 large onions, cut into bite-size pieces
* 3 potatoes
* 1 t dried thyme
* 2 bay leaves
* 1 cup sparkling white grape juice or regular white grape juice

Directions:
1. Place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Drain, crumble, and set aside.

2. Put lamb, salt, pepper, and flour in large mixing bowl. Toss to coat meat evenly. Brown meat in frying pan with bacon fat.

3. Place meat into stock pot (leave 1/4 cup of fat in frying pan). Add the garlic and yellow onion and saute till onion begins to become golden. Deglaze frying pan with 1/2 cup water and add the garlic-onion mixture to the stock pot with bacon pieces, beef stock, and sugar. Cover and simmer for 1 1/2 hours.

4. Add carrots, onions, potatoes, thyme, bay leaves, and juice to pot. Reduce heat, and simmer covered for 20 minutes until vegetables are tender.

For freezer meal simply defrost and reheat in pot.