Irish Stew

Meat and potatoes stewd with onions.

The best description of this would be a neck of mutton, onions and potatoes, stewed, the potatoes being the only Irish ingredient in the stew; for Irish stew is not a national Irish dish in spite of its name. A good recipe for it is as follows: Cut two and one-half pounds of loin of mutton into fairly thick chops, and cut off the square ends of the bones. Peel a large quantity of potatoes and cut them into slices, also peel about one pound of onions. Put the chops and vegetables in layers, moisten to their height in cold water, set the saucepan on the fire until the liquor commences to boil, then move it to the side and keep it simmering gently for two hours or so. When the meat is tender, take it out and pile the potatoes, which should be thick, in the center, arrange the chops around the pile, garnish the dish with whole boiled potatoes and a few button mushrooms, and serve hot.