Hearty beef and barley stew with mushrooms and root vegetables. Perfect cold weather stew!
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Although the days are getting longer and the sun is just a little higher in the sky, the nights are still freezing. To be honest, I never look forward to winter. But when I’m in the thick of it, I appreciate its comfort—warm clothes, thick blankets, an excuse to use the fireplace, and a big pot of stew.
Hell, if you’re going through all of these troubles, you might as well cook enough for many meals throughout the week. This is one such stew, a hearty cousin of beef barley soup but enriched with carrots, celery roots and lots of mushrooms.
It’s a twist on a stew Hank likes to make with goose, inspired by Russian stews he’s encountered over the years. The stew is served with sour cream, which gives the stew a wonderfully creamy texture with a hint of spice.
Beef and barley stew with mushrooms
If you can’t find celery root, you can substitute beets, swedes, or potatoes. Just make sure to adjust your cooking times — potatoes cook faster than celery roots. Save prep time by preparing the onions and mushrooms while the beef is browning.
ingredients
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2 tablespoons unsalted butter
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2-3 pounds ground beef, cut into chunks
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Salt
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3 cups chopped onions
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1 pound button or cremini mushrooms, quartered if small or 1/4-inch slices
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1 liter beef or chicken broth
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3 cups of water
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2 teaspoons dried marjoram
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1 cup pearl barley
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1 cup roughly chopped carrot
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3 cups celery root, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch to 1-inch pieces
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Black pepper
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About 1/2 cup sour cream (about 1 tablespoon sour cream per serving)
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dill for garnish
method
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Fry the beef
In a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add enough beef cuts to sear in the pot without clogging.
You need to sear the meat in several batches. Salt the beef while it cooks and set the browned pieces aside in a bowl.
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Sauté the onions
When all of the beef is browned, add the onions. When the onions release some water, use a wooden spoon to scrape any browned bits off the bottom of the pot.
Sprinkle a little salt over the onions while they cook. Reduce the heat to medium and cook the onions until they start to brown, 5-6 minutes.
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Add the mushrooms
When the onions are lightly browned, mix in the mushrooms and increase the heat to high. Cook the mushrooms until they release their water, about 2-3 minutes.
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Add the saddle of beef, add the marjoram, broth, water, then let it simmer
Put the beef back in the pot and sprinkle with marjoram.
Add 1 cup of the broth and use the wooden spoon to scrape any browned bits off the bottom of the saucepan. Add the remaining broth and water and bring to a simmer.
Cover the pot, reduce the heat to low and simmer very gently for 1 hour.
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Add barley, celery root, carrots, continue to simmer
Add the barley, celery root and carrots, stir well and restore the pot. Simmer gently, between 40 minutes and an hour, until the barley and celery are tender.
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Serve with sour cream and dill
Scoop portions into bowls, then top with a dollop of sour cream and a few sprigs of dill. Just before serving, grind some black pepper on top. Stir in the sour cream to serve.
Links:
Beef, Leek and Barley Soup – by Smitten Kitchen
Slow Cooker Beef Barley Soup – from Andrea’s recipes
Goose Barley Stew – by Hunter Angler Gardener Cook
