When Irish eyes are smiling,
Sure, 'tis like the morn in Spring.
In the lilt of Irish laughter
You can hear the angels sing.
When Irish hearts are happy,
All the world seems bright and gay.
And when Irish eyes are smiling,
Sure, they steal your heart away.

Just gearing up for St. Patty's Day!

Enjoy Cheryl

4 pounds lamb shoulder, cubed
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup vegetable oil
24 pearl onions, peeled, root end trimmed
2 medium carrots, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
1/2 cup dried pearl barley
3 cups chicken stock or water
2 cups stout (very dark, almost black ale)
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
12 new potatoes, cut in half
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley leaves, for garnish
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh chives, for garnish
Irish Soda Bread, recipe follows

Special equipment: a 12-quart pot with a tight-fitting lid

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Season the meat with salt and pepper.

Heat pot over medium high heat and add the vegetable oil. Working in small batches, saute the lamb until golden brown in color. Set aside. Add the onion, carrots, and barley to the pot. Stir to coat, about 1 minute. Add the chicken stock, stout, bay leaf, and thyme to the pot. Return the lamb to the pot, place the potatoes on top and bring to a simmer. Cover and cook for 1 1/2 to 2 hours or until the lamb is fork tender.

Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Garnish with the parsley and chives. Serve with Irish Soda Bread.

Irish Soda Bread:
2 cups whole wheat bread flour
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1/2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
1 egg

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large bowl, combine the flours, oats, brown sugar, salt, baking soda, and baking powder. Grate the cold butter into the dry ingredients and blend by hand until the mixture resembles cornmeal.

In a small bowl, whisk together the buttermilk and the egg. Using your hands, mix the wet and dry mixtures together until the dough can be formed into a ball.

Turn the dough out on to a lightly floured surface and knead for 5 minutes until soft and elastic. Shape the dough into a round loaf, about 6 inches in diameter. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet.

Dust the top of the loaf with flour. Use a sharp knife to cut an "X" into the dough, about half the depth of the loaf and to within 1-inch of the edge. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes.

If you do not care for lamb, you can use beef cubes instead.  If your beer distributor doesn't have stout, you can use regular ale.