Irish Beef Barley Stew (Printable)
Tender beef and root vegetables simmered with barley for a hearty Irish dish.
# What You'll Need:
→ Beef
01 - 2 lbs beef chuck, cut into 1-inch cubes
02 - 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
03 - 1 teaspoon salt
04 - ½ teaspoon black pepper
05 - 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
→ Vegetables
06 - 2 large onions, chopped
07 - 3 large carrots, peeled and sliced
08 - 3 parsnips, peeled and sliced
09 - 3 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
10 - 2 celery stalks, sliced
11 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
→ Barley & Herbs
12 - ¾ cup pearl barley, rinsed
13 - 6 cups beef broth
14 - 2 bay leaves
15 - 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
16 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
# How-To Steps:
01 - Pat beef cubes completely dry with paper towels. Toss beef in a bowl with flour, salt, and pepper until evenly coated.
02 - Heat vegetable oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy pot over medium-high heat. Brown beef cubes on all sides in batches to avoid overcrowding. Remove browned beef and set aside.
03 - In the same pot, add chopped onions and cook for 3 minutes until softened and translucent. Add minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
04 - Stir in carrots, parsnips, potatoes, and celery. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until vegetables begin to soften slightly.
05 - Return browned beef to the pot. Add rinsed pearl barley, bay leaves, thyme, and beef broth. Stir well to combine and bring mixture to a boil.
06 - Reduce heat to low, cover with a tight-fitting lid, and simmer for 1½ hours. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking and ensure even cooking.
07 - Remove lid and continue simmering uncovered for 30 minutes. This allows the stew to thicken naturally and flavors to meld together.
08 - Discard bay leaves. Stir in chopped parsley. Taste and adjust seasoning with additional salt and pepper as needed.
09 - Ladle hot stew into bowls and garnish with extra fresh parsley. Serve immediately with crusty bread.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- This stew transforms tough cuts of beef into velvet through slow patience, not fancy techniques
- The barley soaks up all that beefy flavor until each grain becomes a tiny pearl of richness
02 -
- Patting the beef completely dry before coating it in flour is the difference between a grey, boiled-tasting meat and a deeply flavorful stew with a rich broth
- Browning the meat in batches rather than all at once prevents the temperature from dropping too low, which would cause steaming instead of searing
03 -
- Rinse your pearl barley until the water runs completely clear, otherwise your stew might end up uncomfortably thick
- Use a wooden spoon to scrape up all those browned bits from the bottom of the pan after cooking the onions, that's pure flavor