Slow Cooker Beef and Barley Stew

Ingredients

• 900 gstewing beef (chuck), cubed, cubed
• 150 gpearl barley, rinsed
• 2medium onions, chopped
• 4medium carrots, chunks
• 3stalks celery, sliced
• 250 gturnips, cubed
• 3cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tbsptomato paste
• 1250 mllow-sodium chicken broth, low-sodium beef or chicken
• 2¾ tspWorcestershire sauce
• 2 tspdried thyme
• ¾ tspsalt
• ½ tspblack pepper
• 2 tbspall-purpose flour
• 10 gfresh parsley, chopped

Method

1. Pat the beef dry and toss it with the flour, salt and pepper.

2. Optional but worth it: heat 1 tsp of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and brown the beef in two batches, about 3 minutes per batch, turning so most sides are browned. Do not crowd the pan or it will steam instead of brown.

   6 min timer

3. Rinse the barley. Chop the onion, cut the carrots into chunks, slice the celery, cube the turnip and mince the garlic.

4. Put the beef, barley, vegetables, garlic, tomato paste, broth, Worcestershire sauce and thyme in the slow cooker and stir so the tomato paste dissolves.

5. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours or on high for 5 hours, until the beef falls apart when pressed with a spoon and the barley is soft. After this long the beef is well past the safe 71°C (160°F) inside.

   480 min timer

6. Stir well; barley keeps absorbing liquid, so add a splash of hot water or broth if the stew is too thick.

7. Taste for salt, finish with chopped parsley and serve. Keeps 4 days in the fridge or 3 months frozen.

Storing and reheating

Keeps 4 days or 3 months frozen.