Easy Stout Dublin Coddle (Irish Stew)

INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 lb Thick-cut bacon, chopped
• 1 lb Bangers or mild pork sausages
• 2 lbs Yukon gold potatoes, roughly chopped
• 2 Yellow onions, sliced
• 4 cups Beef broth, low-sodium
• 1/2 cup Fresh parsley, chopped
• 1 tbsp Ground black pepper
• 1 head Garlic, root-end trimmed
• 1 cup Stout beer, Guinness or similar
• 1 tsp Instant espresso powder, optional
• Salt, to taste

DIRECTIONS

1. In a small bowl, combine ½ cup of beef broth with the espresso powder. Set aside.
2. Heat a large dutch oven over medium heat on the stove. Add the bacon and cook until lightly brown and crispy. Use a slotted spoon to remove the bacon and leave the oil in the pan.
3. Add the sausage and cook briefly to brown all sides. Remove from the pan and drain most of the oil out of the pan (leaving a scant 1-2 tbsp of oil in the pan).
4. Add the onions and cook until translucent, 3-4 minutes. Add the garlic, cut side down, and cook for another 1-2 minutes.
5. Add the beer to deglaze the pot, scraping any brown bits off the sides of the pan. Cook for 1-2 minutes, or until the liquid has almost entirely evaporated.
6. Remove from the heat and set the onion mixture aside.
7. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.
8. Layer the coddle as follows: half of the potatoes with a dash of pepper, half of the parsley, half of the onion mixture, and half of the bacon. Repeat for a second layer and top with sausage.
9. Pour beef broth, including combined broth and espresso, over the coddle and bring to a boil over the stove.
10. Remove from the heat and cover. Finish off in the oven, cooking for at least 2 hours or up to 4 hours. Once stew is finished cooking, remove garlic bulb and discard. Or, squeeze cooked garlic into stew, and discard husk.
11. Let rest for 5 minutes, serve and enjoy!