Beef And Barley Stew

Ingredients

1-2 T Olive Oil

1 large onion Chopped

2-3 stalks of celery chopped

2 cloves of garlic minced (or garlic press)

2 lbs Stew beef, cut into 1 inch pieces

1 pound mushrooms, sliced

3 Carrots chopped

7 -8 cups of beef stock

1 cup pearl barley

Salt and Pepper to taste

optional: dredge the meat

1/2 cup all purpose flour

1/2 tsp paprika

1/4 tsp salt

Directions

In a stew pot, preheat oil, sauté onions and celery on medium heat until onions are soft, add beef cubes and garlic.

Cook until beef is no longer red on the outside.

Add mushrooms and cook until they sweat.

Add carrots and 2-3 cups of the stock and bring to a boil, simmer on low for 45 minutes.

Add remaining stock and pearl barley.  Cook on med low heat for 45 minutes or until barley is done.

Serve with your favorite bread, add salt and pepper to taste.

optional dredging: put paprika, flour, salt in a bag with cubed meat and shake the shit out of it. brown before other steps. do not crowd the pan.

Notes

*Barley can be switched out for potatoes with no repercussions.*

*mushrooms are optional*