Irish Stew

Sorry I haven't posted much this week. Things have been getting a bit on top of me but I hope to be feeling less stressed as more work becomes available.
Following on from my Ballymaloe post, this recipe is based on Myrtle Allen's Irish Stew, though I have changed it a bit. I'd give you my Granny's recipe but my Mammy still won't let me have the book!

Ingredients
1.25-1.5kg/2½-3lb mutton neck chops- you can use lamb, but mutton has a much better flavour. I get mine from my local Indian and Continental Stores.
4 medium onions
4 medium carrots
570ml/1 pint stock or water
salt and pepper
4 potatoes
15g/½oz butter
1 tbsp chopped parsley

Method
1. Cut the excess fat from the chops, shred it and render it down in a heavy flameproof casserole, I use the fantastic Le Creuset pan I got for a quid from my parents local dump*.
2. Toss the meat in the fat until coloured.
3. Cut the onions and carrots into quarters, add to the meat and turn in the fat also.
4. Add the stock and season carefully.
5. Simmer gently for approximately two hours, adding the potatoes halfway through. Irish Stew must be cooked on the top of the stove but you need to be very careful not to let it scorch. I did once and it was horrid.
6. When the meat is cooked, pour off the cooking liquid, de-grease and re-heat it in another saucepan. Check the seasoning.
7. Swirl in the butter and parsley and pour back over the stew.

* I should explain to those of you that eat at my house that I do not make it a habit to cook with items scavenged from landfill sights. The staff at my parents local tip regularly save and sell items left by the well-heeled Cotswold residents. I've had two Le Creuset pans and a proper Espresso pot from there so far. Bet you never realised a trip to Dean tip could be so exciting!