Braised Beef Barley Mushrooms
By Emma
Certified Culinary Professional
•
Recipe tested & approved
A hearty stew with bite-sized beef cubes browned for depth. Pearled barley swapped for blé mou whole grain. Button mushrooms exchanged for cremini and shiitake mix; richer, earthier flavor. Aromatics shifted: Shallots replace onions; subtle sweetness, less bite. Simmer slowly in chicken broth infused with thyme sprigs. Covered braising, then uncovered reduction to thicken sauce and concentrate flavors. The smell thick, savory, umami, beef juices mingling with mushroom earthiness. Tender beef pulls apart at slight press, barley swollen and chewy; sauce glossy coating everything. A rustic, layered dish showing why patience in braising pays dividends. Tricks included for avoiding dryness, managing cook times by feel not clock. Suitable for experienced cooks willing to play with textures and deep flavors.
Prep:
25 min
Cook:
Total:
Servings:
6 servings
#braising
#beef stew
#mushrooms
#barley
#slow cooked
#French-inspired
#comfort food
Started messing with beef braises years ago; learned never to skip that browning step. Brown the meat, and the whole dish smells alive, deep, almost smoky. Barley – using whole grain keeps this hearty, chewy; tried pearled barley once, felt limp, boring. Mushrooms swapped out too: shiitake and cremini bring earth, body, texture. Usually onions, but shallots give gentler sweetness, less punch. Slow in oven is key – low and long lets flavors marry, meat soften without drying. Then the finale – uncovered, pushed thick so sauce holds tight to chunks. Sounds long? It is. But patience and watching textures beat following clocks. Good cooking’s about feel, smell, look. When you see juice stick and beef tender; done. Learned it from burns and mistakes too. Don’t rush. This is a stew that teaches you if you listen right.
Ingredients
- 900 g beef chuck, boneless trimmed, cut into 2.5 cm cubes
- 25 ml vegetable oil
- 3 shallots, finely chopped
- 1 litre chicken stock
- 500 g mixed cremini and shiitake mushrooms, whole or halved
- 180 g whole-grain barley (subbed for blé mou)
About the ingredients
Switched original palette. Beef chuck remains the go-to tough cut mellowed by slow braising; cheaper, full flavor when cooked right. Oil choice uncontroversial but vegetable oil holds stable heat, no fuss. Shallots add floral, subtle onion essence and soften quicker; skip if can’t find but small onions okay. Stock – chicken preferred for light foundation, easily swapped with beef stock if richer needed. Mushrooms, crucial swap: cremini and shiitake mix, earthy, more intense than plain white buttons. Barley changed from blé mou whole wheat to whole-grain barley; similar but barley more common. Keeps grain integrity, slight chewiness preferred to pearl barley dullness. Feel free to substitute barley with hulled wheat or even farro for different grain twist. Salting during browning and at finish essential; salt layers flavor while careful with stock sodium. Adapt with low-sodium stock if needed. Keep beef cubes uniform in size to ensure even cooking; small chunks risk drying, large take forever to tender. Rest assured slow is better than fast here.
Method
Prepping and Browning
- Grid in oven middle rack. Oven at 175°C. Pat beef dry – moisture kills the sear. Heat oil in heavy Dutch oven or large ovenproof pot on med-high flame. Brown beef cubes in batches, no overcrowding, a golden crust forming. Salt and pepper while browning – layers of seasoning start here. Transfer browned beef to plate.
- In same pot, reduce heat to medium. Render shallots in leftover fat; tender, translucent. No rushing or browning here; we want softness, no bitterness. If fat seems little, splash of oil. Don’t burn shallots – bitter ruins it.
Building the Braise
- Return beef to pot with shallots. Pour in stock. Scrape bottom with spatula, lift all those brown bits; flavor bombs. Add mushrooms and barley. Stir briefly to distribute.
- Bring to gentle boil on stovetop. Cover pot tightly, transfer to oven. Slow braise for about 2 hours 20 minutes. Don’t rush. Beef tough initially, loosened by time. Barley swelling, absorbing the liquid, mushrooms shrinking.
Finishing and Reduction
- Remove lid, pour the pot back on stove over medium heat. Bubble and simmer, sauce dropping. Look for glossy coat on back of spoon. Usually 25 minutes but watch closely; thicker sauce clings to mushrooms and beef.
- Taste frequently. Adjust salt and pepper now. If sauce too runny, further simmer; too thick add warm stock.
Final Checks
- Beef should nearly fall apart on gentle press. Barley tender but with chew; mushy barley kills texture contrast. Mushrooms plump, giving a dense meaty mouthfeel. Aroma rich – deep mushroom and beef melding. Serve hot, ideally with crusty bread or creamy mash.
Common Problems and Fixes
- If beef dries out – undercooked or oven too hot. Keep covered well, adjust temp down to 160°C. Barley can steal water; add warm stock during braise to keep moist. Mushrooms weep water; add at halfway point in future attempts if too watery. For substitutions: if no chicken stock, beef broth works fine with a splash of Worcestershire for depth. No creminis or shiitakes? White mushrooms okay, but add dried porcini for punch.
Cooking tips
First dry meat well, not damp; helps crust development and avoids steaming. Brown meat in batches – overcrowding poisons sear, meat steams instead. Leave fond untouched; it’s the flavor base when deglazing with stock. Shallots must not brown but soften; keep medium heat and stir often. Adding mushrooms and barley post-browning avoids early mushiness. Bring to full boil ensures active cooking before oven slow down. Cover tightly to trap moisture, keeps beef tender, barley plump. Oven temp set a bit lower than original – every oven’s heat varies; use visual doneness over strict times. After 2h20m braise, removing lid and simmering thickens sauce and intensifies aroma, not skipping this final step dulls flavor and leaves liquid thin. Taste before serving; adjust seasoning as slow cooking often dilutes saltiness. Leftover adjustments: add quick acid splash (wine or vinegar) for brightness if needed at end. Watch barley texture closely; it absorbs liquid fast. Run out of stock? Hot water helps but flavor diluted. That’s when finishing seasoning counts most. Lastly, avoid stirring too much in oven; over handling breaks beef fibers and mushes barley.
Chef's notes
- 💡 Brown meat dry with patting; moisture ruins sear crust. Oil hot, batches only; crowding traps steam and ruins browning. Salt cubes as you go, salt then simmer, layers build.
- 💡 Shallots must soften, not brown. Medium heat, stir often. Bitter spoils everything. Add splash oil if fat low. Take your time here; gentle translucent softness beats harsh onion punch.
- 💡 Add mushrooms and barley after beef in pot, avoid early mush. Mushrooms sweat water quickly. Adding halfway next try recommended if watery. Barley must swell; stir gently, no breaking.
- 💡 Simmer covered in oven lower than usual 175C is high for slow braise. Adjust 160C if beef drying out. Cook by texture, not clock. Beef should feel like soft pull, barley plump but not mush.
- 💡 Final uncovered simmer thickens sauce; watch glossy coat on spoon back. Taste often. If too thick add warm stock; too thin, keep simmering. Salt late — slow dilutes seasoning. Acid splash helps brightness.
Common questions
Why brown beef first?
Adds flavor from fond, crust locks juices. Batched browning avoids steaming. Moisture kills crust, dry meat upfront. Layers seasoning. Skipping brown makes stew pale, flat.
What if mushrooms weep water?
Mushrooms release water quickly. Add at halfway braise next time if too soggy. Use cremini plus shiitake mix for deeper aroma. White mushrooms acceptable but count on less earth flavor.
Barley too mushy, what to do?
Watch swelling closely. Barley absorbs liquid fast; overcooked loses texture contrast. Add warm stock during braise for moisture, but avoid excess water. Use hulled wheat or farro as alternatives.
How to store leftovers?
Cool quickly. Refrigerate in airtight container. Reheat low and slow to keep beef tender. Freeze in portions. Barley swells more on storage, may need added stock or water on reheating.
