Beef and Barley Vegetable Stew

What you need

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 pounds beef chuck, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 3 carrots, sliced
• 3 celery stalks, sliced
• 1 cup pearl barley
• 6 cups beef broth
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
• Salt and black pepper to taste

The easy way

1. Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat; brown beef cubes in batches and set aside.
2. In the same pot, sauté onion, carrots, and celery until softened; add garlic and rosemary.
3. Return beef to the pot, add barley and broth; bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low.
4. Cover and simmer for 1.5 hours until beef is tender and barley is cooked through.
5. Season with salt and pepper, let cool slightly, and refrigerate leftovers in airtight containers.

Use your senses. Times are guardrails. Look for the color, texture, and doneness cues in the steps, and refrigerate perishable leftovers promptly.