Beef and Barley Stew with Mushrooms

I'm tempted to complain about the weather... winter is pretty dreary around Seattle. But I guess gray skies and drizzle for months on end aren't so bad compared to what most of the country has been dealing with...

What I'm going to complain about instead is the guy that's been hoarding disc 1 of Dexter Season 3 causing it to sit in my queue with a "very long wait" for the last year... seriously, what causes people to receive discs from netflix and then not return them for months at a time is beyond me. Plus, the first two seasons of Dexter are available through instant streaming so Christie and I were able to watch them and get hooked on the show... but season three!?! Nope... got to wait for Jim Bob to send the disc back.

Venting usually makes me feel better but in an effort to spread some warmth to those dealing with interesting weather, as well as jerks on netflix, I have this recipe to share. Christie often complains that I make meals that are too heavy in the summer when it's nice and warm out. So I figure that I have to take advantage of the colder months to make things like beef stew.

I think this was more of a classic stew as compared to the Steak and Mushroom stew that I shared with you just about a year ago. Still no potatoes I guess but I resolved that by serving this over mashed potatoes. The steak stew was a Williams and Sonoma recipe and that's how they recommended serving it. It sounded a little odd at first but it's really become my preferred method of enjoying stew. If you haven't tried it yet I highly recommend it.

2-3 pound chuck or round beef roast, trimmed of fat and cut into bite-sized pieces
1 large onion, diced
8-10 ounces mushrooms (1 package)
3 celery stalks, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon thyme
1 bay leaf
1/2 cup red wine
2 cups beef stock
2 cups chicken stock
1 cup barley
salt and pepper

Fill the bottom of a large dutch oven with canola oil and set over medium-high heat until the oil is hot. Working in batches, add a single layer of meat to the bottom of the pan. Let it sit for 2-3 minutes until the cubes loosen and are seared golden-brown. Flip the cubes and sear the other sides. When all sides are seared, remove the meat to a clean bowl or plate. Sear the remaining meat in batches. If there is any liquid in the pot after the last batch is finished, pour it over the meat.

Heat one teaspoon of canola oil in the pan and cook the onions with a pinch of salt until they are translucent and brown around the edges. Add the mushrooms and another pinch of salt, and cook until they have released all the moisture and have turned golden-brown. Add the celery and cook until just softened.

Clear a space in the middle of the vegetables and sauté the garlic until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the thyme and bay leaf, and stir all the seasonings into the veggies.

Pour the wine into the pan to deglaze, scraping up all the browned bits from the bottom of the pan as the wine bubbles. Let the wine reduce down until most of it has evaporated or been absorbed by the veggies.

Add the meat and any drippings back to the pot. Pour in the stocks and top with enough water to cover the meat and veggies by about a half an inch. Bring the stew to a boil, then reduce the heat to very low.

Cover the pot and let it simmer for 1 hour. Add the barley and cook for another 45 minutes or so until the barley is cooked and the meat is almost falling apart (check by piercing it with a fork or knife. There should be no resistance and the meat should flake apart with pressure). Taste the soup and add salt and pepper as desired.

Serve in individual bowls with a crust piece of bread to mop up the broth. Leftovers will keep refrigerated for one week.

Serves 6-8

Adapted from: Recipe on www.thekitchn.com