Beef and Barley Soup
As I was scraping a pan of oddly gritty and burnt-edged brownies into the trash the other day, I was reminded not for the first time, that there’s no real destination when it comes to cooking.
In the last couple weeks I’ve managed to burn a pot of rice, ruin a pan of brownies, overcook my son’s birthday dessert (my ‘famous’ chocolate chip cookies) and make at least a handful of sub-par dinners where at least one child sitting at the dinner table refused to eat a single bite of what was in front of them.
I’ve learned to embrace that becoming a good cook is a journey I’ll likely be on for the rest of my life. For every great recipe, there’s at least one failure and three kinda-okay ones that go along with it.
The temptation could be to throw in the towel (symbolically and literally) and decide cooking isn’t for me. Or, I can take on the challenge, refusing to let setbacks frustrate me or sway my confidence.
Let me be honest, there was a time when a recipe not working out (my own creation or following someone else’s) would be a little devastating. I would feel frustrated and defeated and begrudge the resulting dishes I had to do for a recipe that wasn’t even good. There was huffing and deep dramatic sighs and even a few tears here and there. I hope you’re getting a good chuckle at my theatrics as you read this. Because, as I think back on it, I’m definitely laughing.
Because in the end, it’s not that serious. There’s no arrival point where you get a certificate saying ‘good cook;’ its just a long series of trial and errors and somewhere along the way you realize you know more than you thought you did. I’m sure there’s a deeper message in there somewhere but we really are just talking about becoming a home cook.
Take this beef and barley soup for example, I happened across a beautiful photo of a beef stew in one of my cookbooks and decided to try my hand at my own recipe. Deciding to trust my instincts and pulling little tricks from other recipes I love, I began to experiment.
Beef and barley soup isn’t exactly an earth shattering combo but its perfect on a cold winter night. The soup is hearty and filling and full of good-for-you ingredients. I added a little fresh thyme and a hearty glug of red wine to up the flavor and add richness to the broth. I skipped potatoes and instead decided to use barley, a rice-like grain that’s nutty and full of healthy fiber. Typically a beef and barley soup has a little tomato flavor, sometimes adding tomato paste to the broth but I decided a can of fire-roasted tomatoes was just what the soup needed. I added a few splashes of hot sauce too, knowing it wouldn’t add heat to the pot but instead a little balance to round out the flavors.
I chopped and stirred, salted and tasted and then most importantly, I walked away and let the soup cook on low heat until the meat fell apart and the vegetables were tender and almost sweet.
It’s not the fanciest recipe in the world but its a testament that an amazing meal can come together with a few good ingredients and little patience. I warmed a loaf of fresh sourdough bread in the oven and we broke off big hunks to dip in our soup. Dinner was simple but perfect
Beef and Barley Soup
2 pounds stew meat or chuck roast, trimmed and cut into 3/4-inch pieces
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 large yellow onion diced
3 large carrots peeled and sliced
3 celery stalks, leaves included, washed and sliced
3 cloves garlic minced
1 bay leaf
3 sprigs fresh thyme
1 cup red wine of choice
1 tablespoon Frank’s Hot Sauce
1 32-ounce can fire-roasted tomatoes
1 cup barley, rinsed
2 32-ounce boxes beef stock
1/2 tablespoon Kosher salt divided
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon fresh flat leaf parsley minced
Preheat oven to 275 degrees.
In a large dutch oven or oven-safe pot, heat two tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Add the meat to the pot and liberally salt and pepper the meat. Stir occasionally until the meat is browned on all sides, about 3 to 4 minutes. Turn the heat off to the pot and use a slotted spoon to transfer the meat to a plate.
Add the onion, carrot and celery to the pot. Turn the heat to the stove back on to medium-low and using a wooden spoon, scrape up any little brown bits left on the bottom of the pot. Sprinkle the vegetables with salt and pepper, continuing to stir occasionally until the onion is translucent, about 5 to 6 minutes.
Add the garlic, bay leaf and thyme to the pot, giving the mixture a good stir. Add the meat back into the pot along with the red wine, fire-roasted tomatoes, Frank’s hot sauce and rinsed barley. Stir constantly for 2 to 3 minutes while the flavors combine and the barley soaks up the flavors. Stir in the beef stock and add one more pinch of salt and pepper. Allow the soup to come to a slow boil, stirring often. Cook on the stove for about 30 minutes.
After the 30 minutes, turn the heat off to the pot. Place the lid on the pot and place on the center rack of the pre-heated oven. Allow the soup to simmer in the oven for at least two hours before serving.
To serve the soup, remove the pot form the oven. Use a potato masher to gently break up the stew meat. Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with flat-leaf parsley. Serve with crusty warm bread.