Emerald Isle Stew

Ingredients

• 4  bay leaves 
• 10.5 ounce beef broth undiluted canned
• 1 pound beef top sirloin steaks boneless lean trimmed cut into 1-inch cubes
• 0.8 pound carrots cut into 1/4-inch slices
• 2 teaspoons tarragon dried
• 3 tablespoons flour all-purpose
• 1 clove garlic minced
• 4.5 pound leg of lamb 
• 1 pound baby potatoes cut into 3/4-inch cubes
• 1 pound onion chopped
• 1 teaspoon pepper 
• 17.3 ounce puff pastry frozen thawed
• 1 tablespoon salt 
• 0.8 cup porter 
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil 
• 0.3 cup water 
• 2 cups water 

Equipment

• bowl
• baking sheet
• oven
• cookie cutter
• dutch oven

Directions

1. Remove meat from lamb bone; cut into 1-inch cubes. Set bone aside.
2. Brown all sides of beef and lamb cubes in oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat, stirring beef and lamb occasionally.
3. Add lamb bone, onion, and next 7 ingredients; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 30 minutes.
4. Remove lamb bone; add carrot, potato, and tarragon. Cover and simmer 30 minutes.
5. Remove and discard bay leaves.
6. Combine flour and 1/4 cup water; stir until mixture is smooth. Slowly add flour mixture to stew, stirring constantly.
7. Cook over medium heat 3 minutes or until thickened and bubbly.
8. Cut puff pastry into shapes with a 5-inch shamrock cookie cutter.
9. Place pastry shamrocks on an ungreased baking sheet.
10. Bake at 400 for 5 minutes or until lightly browned.
11. Spoon stew into individual bowls; top each with shamrock puff pastry.
12. Note: For the stout beer, we used Guinness.
13. * You can substitute 3 pounds trimmed lean boneless beef top sirloin steak, cut into 1-inch cubes, for lamb.