Beef, porter and barley stew

Name: Beef, porter and barley stew
Yield: Makes about hearty 6 portions
Ingredients: 3–4 tbsp light olive oil or vegetable oil; sea salt and freshly ground black pepper; 1 kg stewing cut of beef (shin, skirt or chuck), cut into 2.5cm cubes and patted dry; 500 ml porter or stout (taste it – it shouldn’t be too bitter); 5 banana shallots or 3 medium red onions, peeled and roughly chopped; 1 tbsp tomato purèe; 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce; 200 g pearl barley; 1 small bunch of flat-leaf parsley, stalks and leaves; 1 bay leaf; 2 medium carrots, cut into chunks; 500 ml beef stock

Preparation info

Makes about hearty
6 portions

Difficulty
Medium

Appears in

Solo

By Signe Johansen

Published 2018

About

Affectionately known as The Great British Stew in our family, this winter warmer requires only a little preparation and a few hours in the oven. Barley thickens the broth and adds a wonderful chewiness to the dish, but you can leave it out if you prefer. As is always the case with a stew, this tastes even better the next day.

Ingredients

1 kg stewing cut of beef (shin, skirt or chuck), cut into 2.5cm cubes and patted dry
3–4 tbsp light oliv

Stew
Main course
Winter

Method

Preheat the oven to 150°C/gas mark 1.

Season the beef. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a cast-iron casserole over a medium heat and fry the beef in batches (2–3 batches, depending o