Kerry Casserole (Irish)
Submitted by karlyS
Kerry casserole layers pork belly and smoked bacon with sliced potatoes, onions, mushrooms, and rosemary, slow-baked in stock until golden. A hearty traditional Irish one-pot dinner.
YIELD
4 servingsPREP
15 minCOOK
135 minREADY
150 minNamed after County Kerry in southwest Ireland, this casserole is proper Irish farmhouse cooking: layers of pork belly and smoked bacon, sliced potatoes, onions, and mushrooms, all baked slow in stock with rosemary until the meat is fall-apart tender and the top layer of potatoes turns crispy and golden.
The layering matters. Potatoes go on the bottom and top, with the meat and vegetables sandwiched in between. The bottom layer soaks up the stock and pork fat, turning creamy and soft. The top layer, dotted with butter and uncovered for the last 30 minutes, browns into a proper crust.
Two and a quarter hours is a long bake, but this is not a dish you can rush. The pork belly needs that time to render its fat and become tender. Check occasionally that the stock hasn’t fully evaporated.
Kitchen Tips
- Slice the potatoes thin and even. Thick, uneven slices won’t cook through properly in the layered setup.
- Uncovering for the last 30 minutes is a must for crispy potatoes on top. Skip it and you’ll have a stew, not a casserole.
- Season each layer with salt, pepper, and rosemary as you build. Seasoning only the top won’t penetrate the layers below.
- Use a good, flavorful stock. It’s the only liquid in the dish, so it needs to carry weight.
Variations
- Lamb version: Swap the pork belly for diced lamb shoulder for a different take on the Irish tradition.
- Guinness addition: Replace half the stock with Guinness stout for a richer, deeper flavor.
Ingredients
Directions
Cut meat into one-inch cubes.
Peel and thinly slice potatoes.
Peel or wipe mushrooms, and slice if large.
Grease a large ovenproof dish with some of the butter, and place a layer of sliced potatoes in the bottom.
Add half the meat pieces, seasoned and sprinkled with rosemary.
Layer with half the vegetables, plus another layer of potatoes.
Repeat, using all meat, vegetables and potatoes.
Pour stock over and dot potatoes with remaining butter.
Cover and cook in a moderate oven, 325℉ (160℃), for 2¼ hours.
Uncover for the last half hour of cooking to brown the potatoes.
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