Beef Barley Soup
My recipe is kinda a combination of Southern Living and Bon Appetite's. (A lot of my cooking is southern.)
Bending the rule from post #1 of "new and try out" this is one of my tried and true staples for cold windy nasty days.
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**using 6q stainless stock pot
cook barley in stock pot
cook hamburger in cast iron allowing fond to develop, add to stock pot
deglaze pan with small amount of beef stock, add to pot
sweat onions and celery in butter in cast iron, deglaze, add to stock pot
lightly toast garlic in butter in cast iron, deglaze, add to stock pot
5c beef broth
1 bay leaf
1t thyme (dry, ground)
1t basil (dry)
1t sage (dry)
1t cumin (dry, ground)
1t-1/2c red wine (the cheaper the better; 1t min, 1/2c for rich )
4clove garlic (increased per multiple sources)
dash-1/4t liquid smoke
1# hamburger
1c barley (dry measure)
2c chopped celery (about 4 stalks)
1c yellow onion, diced med
~2t pepper
~3t salt (more or less depending on broth's salt content)
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In practice, I never add salt anymore - broth or stock or whatever else a guy puts in it anything from a box or a can is soo salty it has plenty of salt.
