Chunky Beef Barley Stew with a Twist: Crockpot & Instant Pot Friendly

I love when I am ahead of the game for dinner. It is always nice to know at the end of the day, a crockpot or instant pot full of stew is ready and waiting for me and my husband for dinner. I tend to be a last minute, throw together something type of gal, but as the cooler weather slows things down around the farm, I get the chance to take my time and enjoy the experience of cooking.

I made this recipe on Tuesday morning this week and set my instant pot to crockpot mode, so the smells of the stewing meat and vegetables filled the house with a comforting aroma. I have made beef barley stews before, so I wanted to do something different and add enough flavors and punch to knock this recipe out of this world. I am at heart a perfectionist, always striving for the best in everything, which can be frustrating when I can’t do something (aka…bake), but with cooking, I rock.

I like my beef barley stews to be full of flavor, creamy and with pearls of barley adding the extra texture to the melting beef. The recipe I was using as a general guideline, called for wine, which I do not currently have on my shelf. Looking through my available alcohol, I thought, what the heck? Whiskey seems like a great addition to a hearty beef stew. Think, pub stew. And it works! The whiskey adds a beautiful flavor to the stew, but is in no way overpowering.

The great thing about this recipe; you can make it your own. I geared the veggies I added to my husband’s tastes, but you could easily throw in peas, green beans, potatoes or mushrooms (something I will do next time). Not a big fan of whiskey? Substitute in some red wine or simply skip it. No problem.

I chose to use chuck steak for this recipe because I knew the marbling and fat in the meat would melt during the stew process, making this generally tougher cut of meat fall-apart tender. The beauty of chuck is that it is both economical and packs a punch of flavor, so even though it isn’t super tender, it makes a great cut for stew or slow cooking. Chuck steak is just chuck roast, cut into steaks, so it is an easy cut to cube. We have plenty more of those in stock in our store if you are looking to make a hearty stew this weekend.

Happy cooking!

Ingredients

2.5 Chuck Steak (cut into cubes)

1/2 cup flour

Salt (to taste)

Pepper (to taste)

Olive Oil

2 Onions (chopped)

2 Carrots (chopped)

2 Celery Stalks (chopped)

3 Garlic Cloves (minced)

1 TB Dried Oregano

3 TB Tomato Paste

7 cups Beef Broth

1/3 cup Whiskey (optional)

3/4 cup Pearl Barley

1 TB Worcestershire Sauce

3 Bay Leaves

Instructions

1. Season the beef stew meat generously with salt and pepper. Place the beef in a bowl and add the flour over the beef. Stir the beef and flour until the beef is entirely covered. Add more flour if needed.

2. Heat the olive oil in your instant pot on saute. Add the beef to the pot and cook just until the meat starts to brown. You will have to do this in 2 or 3 batches. Remove the meat from the pot after you're done and set aside.

3. In the same pot, you will have a lot of brown bits on the bottom, add the chopped onion, carrots and celery. Cook the vegetables until soft, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally and removing the brown bits from the bottom to add flavor.

4. Add the garlic, oregano and tomato paste to the pot and stir. Add the meat back to the pot, then the beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, and whiskey. Season with salt and pepper if needed.

5. Add the barley to the pot and the bay leaves.

6. Set your instant pot to slow cook, making sure that the pot is set to the More setting for 4 hours or Less setting for 8 hours. Slow cook until the meat is tender and melts in your mouth.

7. If you find that too much liquid has evaporated or the soup is too thick add more water as necessary until you get the desired consistency.