Cold weather invokes a strong desire in so many souls for warm and filling comfort food. Beef and barley seem to be a perfect combination. I never really ate barley. I know it was in a random soup I have had when eating out once or twice, and I know it was an ingredients in some very good beer I have tasted. Barley was never a staple in my pantry. It’s funny to me that I have always associated barley with people who were ultra-healthy, or vegan. Barley is a grain that is a good source of fiber and has many elements that are really good for your digestion. Forget the terms and statistics, it is just plain tasty and satisfying. Barley is filling and a slow-burning carbohydrate. We all know both are good for you when it comes to eating well. It is mildly nut tasting, and is just a tad chewy, almost like a pasta. If you haven’t ever eaten barley, try this casserole as your first taste, and if you are a barley fan, you will love this. Barley is the newest ‘regular’ in my pantry from now on!
1 pound lean, stew meat, beef or venison
1 cup hulled barley (not precooked)
1 14 – ounce can diced tomatoes
1 small red onion, diced
3 green onions, include green tops
1 medium carrot, diced small
1 stalk celery, deiced small
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon black pepper
1-teaspoon garlic salt
½ teaspoon ground coriander
2 tablespoons canola oil
3 tablespoons red wine or water
2 cups fat-free beef stock
Fill a 4-cup bowl with very hot tap water. Add the hulled barley and allow to soak while you prepare the remainder of the recipe.
Heat oil in bottom of large pan and quickly brown meat. When browned add to buttered 3-quart baking dish. Deglaze your pan with the red wine or water, and add to meat dish. Add the remaining ingredients, except the barley. Drain the barley and rinse 2 minutes with hot water. Shake extra moisture from barley and stir into casserole dish. Stir and cover. Bake in a 350-degree oven 1-½ hours. Remove cover the last 15 minutes.
This can easily be put in a crock-pot on low for 6 – 8 hours.
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