Beef and barley soup

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lbbeef shin, cut into 3cm cubes, patted dry
• 2 tbspvegetable oil
• 2onions, diced
• 3carrots, cut into 1cm pieces
• 3 stickcelery, sliced
• 3 clovegarlic, crushed
• 2 tbsptomato paste
• 5 1/4 ozpearl barley, rinsed
• 2 quartsbeef stock
• 2bay leaves
• 6 sprigfresh thyme
• 1/2 ozfresh parsley, chopped
• 2 tspsea salt, or to taste
• 1 tspblack pepper

Method

1. 1

   Heat the oil in a heavy pot over a high heat. Season the beef with a teaspoon of the salt and the pepper and brown it hard in three batches, about 4 minutes a batch, setting each aside as it is done.

2. 2

   Turn the heat down to medium, add the onion, carrot and celery and cook for 10 minutes, scraping the brown stuff off the base as they release their water. Add the garlic and tomato paste and cook for 2 more minutes.

3. 3

   Return the beef and any juices, add the stock, bay and thyme, and bring to the boil. Turn it down until the surface barely trembles, part-cover, and cook for 2 hours until the beef pulls apart under a fork.

4. 4

   Add the barley and cook for a final 30 minutes, until it is tender and the soup has thickened. Fish out the bay and thyme, stir in the parsley and the rest of the salt, and taste.