Beef and Barley Stew

Adapted from Barefoot Contessa: How Easy Was That?

We actually used leftovers of the prime rib from Christmas Eve dinner, and it was awesome.

Ingredients

1 tbsp. olive oil
2 pounds oxtails (or prime rib left overs, with bone)
2 cups chopped leeks, white and green parts (about 2 leeks)
2 cups diced carrots (about 4 carrots)
1 cup chopped yellow onion
1 cup diced celery (2 stalks)
2 garlic cloves, minced
3-4 sprigs fresh thyme
3 bay leaves
10 cups beef broth (or mixture of beef and chicken broth)
1 cup pearled barley (cleaned for any mini rocks or stones)


Directions

Heat olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven. Add the oxtails, 1 tsp. of salt, and 1/2 tsp. of pepper, and cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes until browned all over. Remove the oxtails with a slotted spoon and set aside. (Alternatively use the prime rib left overs to brown for a few minutes, then remove from the pot.)

Add the leeks, carrots, onion, celery, and garlic to the fat in the pot and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes, until the vegetables start to brown. De-stem the thyme leaves from the sprigs and add the thyme leaves to the pot along with the bay leaves. Return the meat to the pot and add the broth, 1 tsp. of salt, and 1 tsp. of pepper. Raise the heat and bring to a boil. Lower the heat, cover, and simmer for one hour. Remove the bay leaves and skim off any fat that has risen to the surface.

Meanwhile, bring 4 cups of water to a boil in a separate pot and add the barley. Simmer uncovered for 30 minutes, drain, then set aside.

When the soup is ready, add the barley and cook the soup for another 15 or 20 minutes, until the barley is tender. Depending on the saltiness of the stock, the soup might need another teaspoon of salt and some pepper. Serve hot, with buttered bread or biscuits.