Stews and soups are favorite dishes in the winter, and this weekend in Boston the temperature dipped with a wind chill below zero. I pulled out my Mom’s old recipe box and found one of her gems: Beef and Barley stew,
My Mom would always include a couple of big beef bones to add the marrow nutrients into the stew, so I got a couple to add to mine. Along with vegetables is a cup of barley, a wonderful fiber-rich whole grain that is super heart healthy.
You’ll find the recipe below. Don’t let not having every ingredient in the recipe stop you from making this or any dish. Missing an ingredient is an opportunity for creativity.
If you click on the video you can hear about the ingredients and make your own.
Mom’s Beef and Barley Stew
2 TBSP olive oil sea salt to taste
1 large yellow onion, diced 2 large carrots, chopped
2 large parsnips, chopped 2 large celery ribs, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced or finely chopped
1 -2 bay leaves 1 TBSP tomato paste (tube)
1 - 1 1/2 lbs beef chuck, cubed 1 marrow bone
6-8 cups beef broth 1 cup red wine (optional)
1 can (15 oz. diced tomatoes 1/2 to 1 cup barley
salt and pepper 1 tsp. thyme, rosemary, finely chopped, to taste
Distribute olive oil across the bottom of a stock pot and heat over medium heat. Add onions, carrots, parsnips and celery, with salt. Cook over medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring. Add garlic and thyme and rosemary to open aroma. Make a well and add tomato paste and stir to warm it.
Add bay leaves, beef, marrow, broth, wine, diced tomatoes and barley and slowly bring to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer and cook uncovered for 90 minutes, stirring occasionally to avoid sticking to the pot.
Note: the amount of barley you choose to include will dictate the thickness of your finished product, as will the amount of broth.