Ingredients
1 lb. stewing beef
4 Tbsp Buona Cucina Garlic Infused Olive Oil
1 red onion
2 garlic cloves
2 cups pearl barley
¼ cup Buona Cucina Neapolitan Herb Dark Balsamic Vinegar
6 cups beef broth
Directions
Pat the stewing beef dry on all sides and set aside to come to room temperature. In a heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat, warm half of the olive oil and brown the meat, searing well on all sides. Be careful not to crowd the pot. You might need to work in batches, transferring the browned meat to a bowl as you go.
Finely chop the onion and garlic. Add the remaining 2 Tbs of olive oil to the pan (there is no need to clean it first) and sauté the onions and garlic until just translucent. Add the barley and toss to coat in the onions, garlic, and olive oil. Deglaze the pot with the balsamic, scraping up any bits that may have stuck on the bottom. Pour in the broth and then the browned meat, cover and bring to a boil.
Turn down the heat to low and simmer covered for 45 minutes, until the barley is cooked and buffed. Serve with Homemade Housewarming Loaf (recipe on the website) for a heart and delicious winter meal.
You can substitute the garlic oil if too much garlic for you. Try the Herbs de Provence, Basil, or Tuscan Herb infused olive oil or a robust EVOO they are all delicious.
Recipe by Emily Lycopolus