Sunday, December 13, 2009

Beef Stoup

Beef Stoup with spoon

No that’s not a typo.

It says stoup. STOUP.

Why? Cause this recipe is not quite a stew and not quite a soup, so stoup is it. Yes it’s a made up word and let me tell ya this, every time I say it Salt n’ Pepa’s Shoop song goes through my head.

Hear I go, hear I go, hear I go again.
Girls what my weakness?

What can I say, that’s just the way my brain works.

We had a really productive weekend and managed to get all our presents wrapped, and all our crafting finally finished (my poor hands really show the wear and tear lemme tell ya).

I like to be finished with all things Christmas by the second weekend in December so I can put the finishing touches on my menu and thoroughly enjoy baking and cooking.

I make a lot of soups and stews during the winter months. I love that most of them are made in one big pot. Anything that warms your bones is good eats in these parts right about now.

This one is a bone warmer for sure.

Stoup ECU1

Beef Barley Stoup
Printable Recipe
2 pounds boneless chuck roast, trimmed and cut into ½ inch pieces
(you can use 2 pounds of stew beef too)
1 tablespoon oil
3 carrots, peeled and sliced
3 celery stalks, peeled and sliced
2 shallots, chopped (can substitute 1 small onion)
2 tablespoons butter
1 – 8 ounce package of mushrooms, sliced
6 cups, less sodium beef broth
2 bay leaves
¾ cup uncooked pearl barley
salt & pepper to taste
cornstarch & water* (see note)

Heat a Dutch oven to medium high heat. Add the oil. Add the beef to the pan and cook approximately 4 minutes, or until browned on all sides. Don’t overcrowd the pan; you may have to do this in batches.

Remove the browned beef from the pan and set aside. Add the butter to the pan. Add in the carrots, celery and shallots. Cook until just tender (about 6 minutes). Add in the chopped mushrooms and cook for an additional 3 minutes.

Add in the beef broth, bay leaves and browned beef. Bring to a simmer over medium high heat. Cover and reduce heat. Simmer for about an hour, or until beef is tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in the pearl barely. Cover and simmer another 30 minutes or until pearl barley is tender. Add salt and pepper. Don’t forget to take out the bay leaves!

*If you'd like to make your broth a little thicker, make yourself a slurry. Add a heaping tablespoon of cornstarch to a few tablespoons of cold water and stir until smooth. Add to broth to thicken. If you'd like it even thicker, repeat, but careful, if you make it too thick then ya can't call it stoup!

** I've added frozen peas to this the last few minutes of cooking. No need to de-frost, just throw them in.

15 comments:

katie said...

This sounds wonderful! Are those red potatoes peeking out too? I have been in the mood for a good beef stew for ages.

The Cutting Edge of Ordinary said...

Nope Katie, I think you're seeing a mushroom. You could add potatoes tho, lol.

TKW said...

Yarghhhllll! You said "stoup!" Luckily, you are not Rachael Ray and not annoying. This looks warming and perfect for the butt-cold nights we are having here.

The Cutting Edge of Ordinary said...

I had no idea that RR said stoup! I just found out via Facebook. I despise RR, almost thought of changing the title, but dammit, I won't, lol. I own the stoup!

Melissa said...

It's totally the kind of word I could see my husband coming up with too, so forget about the RR relation. Whatevah!

And oh man I want this, Lisa. I loooooove beef and barley soup, stew, stoup, I don't care what you call it. It's one of the only things my grandmother made really well and I miss it terribly. I have that list (like all of us do) of stuff I want to make and beef barley soup is edging toward the top. I don't have a recipe set for it, so I'll print yours first!

Bunny said...

Lisa this looks fantastic and certainly would warm my belly as well as satisfy it. Great stoup!

Kim (@ Paper Apron) said...

This is a winter's night at its very best. Love the addition of shallots and barley. Gosh, this looks so good.

Jeff said...

I prefer the thicker stoups and almost to the level of only a fork is required.

Congrats on being done so if I send you my Christmas list you would have some time to go do mine for me????

gonzomama said...

that looks so delicious! i am definitely a fan of stoups.

Anonymous said...

we had beef & barley stoup last weekend. Soup is too runny, unless it's creamed soup.

I take the gravy left over from our roast dinner and it gives it that nice thickness.

you are a woman after my own heart. i could eat soup every day in the winter!!

lheck said...

Lisa you have made my day. My ex would critize me all the time for making a meal like this. I am so glad to see now that others do it too. Sure is good to know I am not that crazy. Glad you gave me this lift today. Youf a great cook, and such a good gal.
Thanks,
Linda in Fl.

Jk Gordon said...

Beef Barley Soup :So easy to make .
Don't forget the Summer Savory (Home Grown )I use a two lb. soup bone .Take bone out before serving soup .Cut up in small pieces and drop back in pot or so yummy .

J.K. Gordon New Brunswick

Unknown said...

I just stopped in for the first time and found your blog...let me say...THANK YOU for the printing edition, it worked like a charm. So often excellent recipes on blogs are difficult to print...now "stoup"

Hubbiiwubbii said...

This sounds good! I tried a Beef & Barley Stoop a cpl weeks ago and found that the Barley kept growing & growing, we ended up with enough to feed 15 when I was trying for 4-6. How does this compare?

The Cutting Edge of Ordinary said...

Hubbiiwubbii - my barley didn't expand to much at all. Did you leave it in for a very long time? I also used pearl barley. That might have made a difference. Hope that helps. Lisa - The Cutting Edge of Ordinary