I was surprised to learn this week that Tucson was founded by Hugh O’Conor, an Irish soldier serving the Spanish King Charles. O’Conor oversaw the construction of the first presidio, or fort, north of San Xavier del Bac in 1775 — at the time of the American Revolution.
O’Conor, whose name is sometimes spelled more conventionally as O’Connor, called the new presidio San Agustin de Toixon, later shortened to Tucson. O’Conor may have been trying to echo the Tohono O’odham name for the area, Stjucson (or Schook-shon), meaning “at the foot of black hill or mountain” and transliterating it into a word that his Spanish commanders could pronounce.
There’s a statue honoring O’Conor in front of the historic Manning House downtown. He’s pointing off into the distance, but I’m not sure what the significance of that is, or what he wants us to look toward.
Tucson’s Irish community hasn’t forgotten O’Conor. There’s a great deal of pride about his accomplishments here in the Sonoran Desert, and the lively community recognizes his achievements as part of its St. Patrick’s Day celebrations.
This Irish stew is good any time it’s chilly but seems especially appropriate in this season.
My research over the years has shown that Irish stew is most traditionally made with Guinness stout and lamb, usually using shoulder but sometimes made with the leaner leg. But Americans are more comfortable with beef than with lamb, and many a good Irish stew is made with beef chuck or round. Either way, trim away excess fat before browning the meat — the stew should be flavorful, but not greasy.
You want a deeply flavored, dark beer for this stew, but it doesn’t have to be Guinness. Tucson’s craft brewers offer a wide variety of stouts, porters and Irish reds, and any will work beautifully in this stew. Pop by your favorite brewery to pick up a growler or two and enjoy a glass alongside a bowl of stew. Irish soda or brown bread is a good accompaniment, too, and both are easy to make. Or grab a loaf of any hearty, rustic bread, like the ones Barrio Bread makes and sells around the city.
By the way, Irish bacon is considerably leaner that American bacon because it’s made from a different cut of pork. If you’d rather skip the bacon, substitute a couple of tablespoons of olive oil.
Irish stew
Makes about 6 servings
Like all stews, this one is good the first night and better the second. Use Guinness or a locally brewed stout or porter for this hearty stew. The stew is traditionally made with lamb, but you can substitute beef chuck or round if you like. Whether you use lamb or beef, trim it well of excess fat.
Ingredients
4 slices bacon, cut into small pieces
2 1/2 pounds boneless lamb leg or shoulder, cut into 2-inch pieces
1 teaspoon salt, or more to taste
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 onions, coarsely chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups dark beer
1/4 cup tomato paste
1 teaspoon dried thyme or 4 sprigs fresh thyme
1/2 teaspoon pepper, or to taste
2 1/2 cups beef stock, or as needed to cover
3 carrots, cut into 1-inch pieces
3 medium russet potatoes, cut into 1-inch pieces
Preparation
Cook and stir bacon in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat until bacon is browned and crisp, 3 to 4 minutes. Turn off heat and transfer bacon into a large stew pot, reserving bacon fat in the skillet.
Season lamb generously with 1 teaspoon salt and black pepper to taste. Turn heat to high under skillet and sear lamb in the hot fat on both sides until browned, about 5 minutes. Place lamb in stew pot with bacon, leaving fat in skillet. Turn heat down to medium; cook and stir onions in the retained fat in the skillet until lightly browned, 5 to 8 minutes; season with a large pinch of salt.
Cook garlic with onions until soft, about 1 minute; pour beer into skillet and stir with a wooden spoon, scraping up and dissolving any browned bits of food into the liquid. Pour cooking liquid from skillet into the stew pot. Stir in tomato paste, thyme sprigs, carrots, black pepper and enough broth to cover.
Bring stew to a gentle simmer, stirring to combine; reduce heat to low and cover pot. Simmer stew until beef is fork-tender, about 2 hours. Stir stew occasionally and skim fat or foam if desired.
Remove cover and raise heat to medium-high. Add carrots and potatoes. Bring stew to a low boil and cook until stew has slightly thickened, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove and discard thyme sprigs if you used them and adjust salt and pepper to taste.
