Possible Cooking Methods: Stovetop Pressure Cooker Slow Cooker
This stew is hearty to begin with. As it sits, however, it gets thicker and thicker because of the barley that continues to swell and absorb liquid. You can use pearled, pot or hulled barley in this recipe but hulled barley will have a more nutritious impact. If you have leftovers, be sure to thin the stew with some water or stock.
1 tablespoon olive oil
2½ pounds beef chuck, cut into 2-inch cubes
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 onion, sliced
3 carrots, peeled and sliced on the bias, about ½-inch thick
2 parsnips, peeled and diced ½-inch (or sliced if they are small)
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons dried rosemary
1 teaspoon dried thyme
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 cups red wine*
4 cups chicken stock
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 cup hulled, pot or pearled barley
8 ounces button mushrooms, sliced
1 cup frozen peas
2 tablespoons prepared horseradish (not horseradish sauce)
*Quantity changes for alternate methods
Stovetop Directions
Serves:6
Cooking Time:2½ hours
1. Heat a large Dutch oven or stockpot over medium heat. Add the olive oil and working in batches so you don’t overcrowd the pan, brown the beef cubes, seasoning with salt and freshly ground black pepper – about 8 minutes per batch. Set the browned meat aside.
2. Add the onion, carrots and parsnips to the pot and cook until lightly browned - about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and dried spices and cook for another 30 seconds. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring, for another minute or two. Then add the red wine and deglaze the pan by scraping up any browned bits on the bottom of the Dutch oven with a wooden spoon. Bring the liquid to a boil and let it simmer for a couple of minutes. Return the browned beef to the pot, add the stock and Worcestershire sauce and return the liquid to a simmer again.
3. Simmer for 1 hour.
4. Add the barley and mushrooms and continue to simmer for 1 hour.
5. Check the vegetables, meat and barley for tenderness. If needed, simmer for another 30 minutes. Otherwise, stir in the horseradish and frozen peas, and season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Sprinkle the parsley on top and serve with a piece of crusty bread.
Additional Cooking Directions for
Pressure Cooker Directions
Serves:6
Cooking Time:40 minutes
Change Ingredients: Reduce wine to 1 cup
1. Pre-heat a 6-quart multi-function pressure cooker using the BROWN or SAUTE setting.
2. Add the olive oil to the cooker and working in batches so you don’t overcrowd the pan, brown the beef cubes, seasoning with salt and freshly ground black pepper – about 8 minutes per batch. Set the browned meat aside.
3. Add the onion, carrots and parsnips to the cooker and cook until lightly browned - about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, mushrooms and dried spices and cook for another 30 seconds. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring, for another minute or two. Then add the red wine and deglaze the cooker by scraping up any browned bits on the bottom of the cooker with a wooden spoon. Bring the liquid to a boil and let it simmer for a couple of minutes. (If your cooker doesn’t have a brown setting, use a pot on the stovetop for the steps above and transfer the contents to the cooker now.) Return the browned beef to the cooker, add the stock and Worcestershire sauce and stir in the barley. Cover and lock the lid in place.
4. Pressure cook on HIGH for 20 minutes.
5. Let the pressure drop NATURALLY and carefully remove the lid. Stir in the horseradish and frozen peas, and season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Sprinkle the parsley on top and serve with a piece of crusty bread.
Slow Cooker Directions
Serves:6
Cooking Time:7½ to 8½ hours on LOW
Change Ingredients: Reduce wine to 1 cup
1. Pre-heat a 6-quart multi-function slow cooker using the BROWN or SAUTE setting.
2. Add the olive oil to the cooker and working in batches so you don’t overcrowd the pan, brown the beef cubes, seasoning with salt and freshly ground black pepper – about 8 minutes per batch. Set the browned meat aside.
3. Add the onion, carrots and parsnips to the cooker and cook until lightly browned – about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, mushrooms and dried spices and cook for another 30 seconds. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring, for another minute or two. Then add the red wine and deglaze the cooker by scraping up any browned bits on the bottom of the cooker with a wooden spoon. Bring the liquid to a boil and let it simmer for a couple of minutes. (If your cooker doesn’t have a brown setting, use a pot on the stovetop for the steps above and transfer the contents to the cooker now.) Return the browned beef to the cooker, add the stock and Worcestershire sauce and stir in the barley.
4. Cover and slow cook on LOW for 7 to 8 hours (or 4 hours on HIGH).
5. Stir in the horseradish and frozen peas, and season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Sprinkle the parsley on top and serve with a piece of crusty bread.