Beef Barley Stew: A Gut-Healing Comfort Food

Cooking Process

1. Sear beef whole
2. Chop beef into cubes
3. Sauté mirepoix
4. Simmer/broil beef in chicken stock (1.5 hours)
5. Return vegetables and barley
6. Simmer additional 30 minutes

The Story Behind the Dish

I never even heard of barley until I started making this stew, but now it is my go-to meal prep that's basically a hug in a pot. (not in a freaky way... idk that sounds weird)

Normally, I have this recipe pretty standardized, but this time I switched things up. The beef section at Publix often looks sadder than one of those cheap clothing stores in the mall - you know, the ones that assault your senses with that distinctive smell thats like a chemical cocktail of synthetic fabrics and industrial adhesives...what i imagine a paper factory looks like. This day was no exception - short ribs and chuck roast were looking low-quality with little marbling expensive as hell. Solution? Beef shank.

I seared the beef hunks whole first, creating fond while also controlling the browning/drying up of meat on these thicker cuts. Beef shank's got hella intramuscular fat that needs to render out slowly. Good thing I'm not in a rush.

finally, I sauted the mirepoix and stewed it with chicken stock, garlic, and bay leaves.

Bonus: Throw the bones in the oven and feed the bone marrow to your hungry roomates. turns out bone marrow is just mostly a bunch of fat. then again ig fat is flavor :/