Beef Stew for two..... nights at least!

There's nothing outrageously difficult about making a heart-warming beef stew. All you need is a pot, some stewing beef , some vegetables and some time to let it all come together. I've been known to pick up stewing beef and clean all the canned and frozen vegetables I can find in the house - but I call that junk stew.

1 lb of stewing beef
Tenderizer
1 Tbl vegetable oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 tsp chopped garlic
3 carrots
3 celery stalks
4 medium potatoes
Any other desired vegetables, like peas, green beans, okra, broccoli, cauliflower, etc
32 oz beef broth
1/2 cup Barley
1 tsp Salt
1/4 tsp Pepper

Obviously, I'm a Hannaford brand kinda girl.

Start by adding tenderizer to the stewing beef and cutting and larger sized chunks up. Let meat stand for at least 15 minutes.

Heat oil in stock pot or large vessel. Chop onions coarsely and add to pot and allow to simmer until translucent.

Add beef and garlic and allow beef to brown, stirring occasionally to get all sides of beef.

Cut vegetables into uniform pieces (so they cook evenly). Set aside.

Once beef begins to emit juices (see below) it's time to add the vegetables. Add all to pot, stirring after each addition, then level out ingredients. This allows you to easily see how much liquid you need to add.

Add beef broth, then refill container (or cans) with water and add until vegetables are covered by about 1/2 inch. If needed, use additional water (but be careful not to add too much and loose flavor).

Add the barley, salt and pepper and stir well.

Bring to a boil, cover and turn heat down to simmer. Stir occasionally, scraping bottom to ensure that barly isn't sticking, for about 45 minutes or until vegetables are done. Taste broth half way through cooking for additional seasoning needs, add salt and pepper to taste.

Mmmmmmm, good!