The Wordsmith's Forge

I made this for supper tonight, and it turned out very tasty.


"Beef and Barley Skillet Dish"


Ingredients

1 red onion, diced
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup sugar snap peas
1 package sliced Baby Bella mushrooms (8 oz)
1/3 cup butter
1 pound beef stew meat
1/4 teaspoon Himalayan pink salt
1/4 teaspoon mixed peppercorns
1 cup quick barley
1 can (10 3/4 ounce) condensed golden mushroom soup
2 cans water
4 sage leaves
4 sprigs of parsley
4 sprigs of oregano
6 sprigs of thyme


Directions

Dice 1 red onion. Chop one cup of celery. Add 1 cup sugar snap peas and 8 oz. sliced Baby Bella mushrooms. Combine in a bowl and set aside.

Melt 1/3 cup butter in a large electric skillet on low heat (about 250ºF). Add the vegetables and sauté until tender.

If the beef is in large chunks, cut it into bite-sized pieces. Discard any fat or gristle. Add the beef to the skillet and brown it.

In a mortar and pestle, grind together 1/4 teaspoon Himalayan pink salt and 1/4 teaspoon mixed peppercorns. Sprinkle over the beef. Stir until the meat is mostly cooked.

Pour in 1 cup of quick barley. Stir to distribute it evenly.

Pour in the can of golden mushroom soup and 2 cans of water. Stir to mix everything evenly. Cover the skillet and let it come to a simmer.

Chop together 4 sage leaves, 4 sprigs of parsley, 4 sprigs of oregano, and 6 sprigs of thyme. This should make about 1/4 cup of herbs. Add the herbs to the beef mixture. Stir thoroughly. Cover the skillet and let it cook, stirring every 5 minutes, until the barley is tender and the sauce thickens.

Turn off the heat and serve. Makes 5-6 servings.


Notes:

If you don't have a red onion, you can substitute a sweet onion, plus some chives if available. In fact you can mix and match whatever vegetables you want for this; try carrots, peas, green beans, mushrooms, etc.

Himalayan pink salt is a fancy salt with a light mineral flavor. You can substitute sea salt or table salt.

Mixed peppercorns include black, white, red, and green; they give a complex taste. Black pepper is fine if that's all you have.

Golden mushroom soup is good for dark savory recipes since there isn't a cream of beef soup readily available. Varying the soup is also fine. Cream of celery or cream of mushroom should work.

If you don't have fresh herbs, you can use dried ones. Figure 1 tablespoon of parsley flakes, 1/2 teaspoon of thyme, 1/2 teaspoon of oregano, and 1/4 teaspoon of sage. Their flavor intensity changes as they dry.