Savory Stew: The Cozy Comfort You Crave
One of the best ways to embrace the new season is by filling your home with the fragrant aromas of a hot and hearty stew. This rustic dish combines tender chunks of beef with nutty barley and seasonal vegetables. Roasting the vegetables before adding them to the stew adds deeper flavor. Serve with crusty bread or crackers.
Beef and Barley Stew
Serves 6
Ingredients
½ teaspoon salt, divided
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
2 ½ pounds boneless beef chuck roast, trimmed of excess fat and cut into 1-inch pieces
4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 small to medium onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
½ teaspoon dried thyme
1 (14.5 oz) can beef broth
2 cups water
1 cup dry red wine
½ cup hulled barley*
4 medium-sized red or yellow potatoes and/or sweet potatoes, cut into 1-inch chunks
4 medium-sized carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
2 tablespoons snipped fresh parsley (optional)
Directions
Place the flour, ¼ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon black pepper in a bowl big enough to hold the meat; stir to combine. Add the beef to the bowl with the flour mixture; toss to coat. Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a Dutch oven set over medium heat. Spoon half of the meat into the Dutch oven, cook and stir until browned. Transfer the beef to a plate; set aside. Repeat the process with another 1 tablespoon of olive oil and the remaining uncooked meat.
Add all the meat back into the Dutch oven, along with the onion, garlic, and thyme; cook and stir for 3 minutes. Pour the broth into the Dutch oven; stir the ingredients with a wooden spoon, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the Dutch oven. Pour the water and wine into the Dutch oven. Bring the ingredients to boiling, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Cover the Dutch oven and cook ingredients for 1 hour.
After 1 hour, add the barley to the Dutch oven; stir. Cook until the barley is chewy and tender, about 45 minutes or more.
While the barley cooks, preheat the oven to 375ºF. Place the potatoes and carrots in a shallow roasting pan. Drizzle the vegetables with the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil and season with the remaining ¼ teaspoon of salt and the remaining ¼ teaspoon of black pepper. Stir to coat. Place the uncovered roasting pan into the oven and cook the vegetables until they are lightly browned and tender, about 35 to 45 minutes. Stir the vegetables halfway through the cooking time. When the vegetables are finished roasting, add them and fresh parsley to the Dutch oven. Serve.
*If you use pearl barley instead of hulled barley, you will decrease the time it takes for the barley to cook.
