Chef John’s Beef and Barley Stew

Description

This beautiful bowl of beef and barley would be perfect for your next super-storm. When it comes to stick-to-your-ribs stews, it doesn’t get any better than shank. There’s so much gelatin-producing connective tissue, that it makes an especially satisfying sauce for your meat and grain.

Ingredients

  • 2 thick slices beef shank
  • kosher salt and ground black pepper to taste
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 1 large onion, diced
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 4 cups chicken broth, or more as needed
  • ⅔ cup diced celery
  • ⅔ cup diced carrots
  • 1 bay leaf
  • ¼ teaspoon dried rosemary
  • ½ cup pearl barley
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley, or to taste
  • 1 tablespoon freshly grated raw horseradish, or to taste

Instructions

  1. Season beef all over with kosher salt and black pepper.
  2. Heat vegetable oil in a large pot over high heat. Cook beef in hot oil until browned on both sides
  3. about 10 minutes. Transfer beef to a plate.
  4. Reduce heat to medium
  5. and stir onion into the same pot with a pinch of salt. Cook and stir until onion is soft and translucent
  6. 4 to 5 minutes. Stir garlic into onion; cook and stir until fragrant
  7. about 1 minute.
  8. Stir tomato paste into onion mixture; cook and stir until tomato paste is brick red
  9. 2 to 3 minutes. Pour broth into onion mixture. Add celery
  10. carrots
  11. bay leaf
  12. and rosemary. Return beef with any accumulated juices to pot; push beef down to cover with cooking liquid.
  13. Bring broth mixture to a simmer
  14. reduce heat to low
  15. cover the pot
  16. and cook until beef is fork-tender
  17. 2 to 3 hours. Transfer beef to a bowl.
  18. Pour barley into cooking liquid
  19. bring to a simmer
  20. and cook until barley is tender
  21. about 45 minutes. Return beef to pot
  22. cover the pot
  23. and cook until heated through
  24. about 10 minutes. Season with salt. Ladle stew into bowls and garnish with parsley and horseradish.

Prep Time: 30 mins

Cook Time: 3 hrs 15 mins

Total Time: 3 hrs 45 mins

Servings: 4

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