Beef & Barley Stew

Ingredients

• 2 lb cubed beef
• 2 med onions, diced
• 2 med carrots, diced
• 2 ribs celery, diced
• 1 can (15oz) diced tomatoes
• 1/2 c red wine
• 1/2 c pearl barley
• Yankee dry rub (salt, pepper, onion powder, paprika, mustard)
• Water to cover

Instructions

1. Brown the beef and pour off excess fat.
2. Saute the onions with the beef.
3. Dice and add the rest of the ingredients.
4. Simmer till the vegetables are tender, and the barley is cooked.

Theory of the Dish

This is my basic beef stew recipe but you can add other veggies. One of the most basic substitutions is potatoes for the barley. After that you can add zucchini, corn, green beans, peas, and mushrooms (although I don't like mushrooms in this soup). I tried adding beets once but I found them too sweet for the dish. I tend to avoid coles (such as broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage) in this dish because they can become sulfurous if overcooked.

I dice the vegetables while the meat is cooking and add the denser vegetables (such as carrots and potatoes) first.