This St. Patrick’s Day White Bison Executive Chef Jake Burkhardt is drawing inspiration from his heritage to create Mickey’s Irish Stew. 

The Story Behind The Stew

When Jake’s ancestors moved to America from Ireland, they brought with them a traditional Irish stew recipe that became a popular dish in Jake’s family who settled in San Jose, California. The stew was carried down from his great, great grandmother Ellen, and includes a twist on an old standby.

Irish stew was a common dish among the Irish that used scraps of meat, potatoes, onions, and some parsley. After surviving the potato famine, Ellen decided to substitute potatoes with barley. In Ireland, barley was typically only used by wealthy landowners, brewers and distillers, but after moving to America the grain was more widely available, thus leading to her signature Irish Stew with Barley.