Beef and Barley Stew with Spinach

Notes: Original recipe from https://www.daringgourmet.com/hearty-beef-barley-stew

This is a doubling of that recipe, which makes 2 dinners each serving 4 people.

I chose to freeze one dinner without barley, then make fresh barley and combine it with the thawed stew. Otherwise, the barley will absorb too much liquid in the freezer and change the

texture of the stew (making it too thick).

Ingredients

• 1 Tblsp extra virgin olive oil

• 5 pounds stew beef (e.g. sirloin tips), cut into 3/4 inch cubes

• 2 large onions, diced

• 1 lb. baby carrots, quartered

• 4 stalks celery, diced

• 1-2 lbs. various mushrooms (button, cremini, woodear, Baby Bella), cleaned and quartered

• 2 bags (10 oz each) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained

• 1 rose of garlic, peeled and minced or crushed with a large knife

• 1 heaping Tblsp fresh thyme, or 2 tsp dried

• 1 heaping Tblsp fresh oregano, or 2 tsp dried

• 1 cup dry red wine (e.g., pinot noir, cabernet sauvignon)

• 4 cups quality beef broth (beef drippings from a previous beef roast)

• 2+ Tblspns tomato paste

• 2 large bay leaves

• 4 beef bouillion cubes

• 1 cup pearl barley, cooked with 1 cup beef broth, 2 cups water, and 2 beef bouillion cubes

Mise en Place

1. Peel and dice onions. Set aside.

2. Cut baby carrots into quarters or thirds. Set aside.

3. Clean and dice celery into small chunks. Set aside.

4. Peel and mince garlic. Set aside.

5. Wash and cut mushrooms. Set aside.

Directions

1. Pat the beef cubes dry with a paper towel and season with salt.

2. Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat and sear the beef cubes on all sides, working in batches so as to not overcrowd. Use a slotted spoon to remove the beef and set aside. Leave the liquid.

3. Add the onion, carrot and celery to the hot liquid in the Dutch oven. Cook the vegetables for 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms, spinach, garlic and herbs and cook for another few minutes. Add the wine, beef broth, tomato paste, bay leaf, and bouillion cubes. Stir to combine. Return the beef to the pot and stir to coat the meat.

4. Choose between 2 cooking methods: STOVETOP: Bring to a boil on the stove top, cover, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 60-90 minutes or until the beef is fork tender. OR OVEN: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Cover the Dutch oven and cook on the lowest rack for about 2 hours or until the beef is fork tender.

5. While the stew is cooking, in a medium pot combine barley, 1 cup of beef broth, 2 cups of water, and 2 bouillion cubes. Bring to a boil, then reduce to Medium heat and cook for 40 minutes or until tender and liquid is mostly absorbed. Add the cooked barley to the stew and continue to cook for at least 10 more minutes in the stew, preferably up to an hour. The longer the stew cooks the more tender the beef and flavorful the stew will be. Add salt and pepper to taste.