# Barley n Beef Soup??



## jsriley5 (Sep 22, 2012)

I love Barley beef soup but it gets to where it isn't on the shleves much everyonec in a while I catch it but not always and not usually in a good quantity. I have bought the pearled barley and using a can of vegetable beef soup as a 'base" I added barley water and bouolion and got it to come out acceptably But I"m thinking since I am going to be doing a bit of canning and I"d like to make a pot of soup too might as well combine the effort. 

Sooooo doesn anyone have a favorite recipe theyd like to share so I don't have to just wing it?


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## Startingout-Blair (Aug 28, 2012)

I'd love to find a recipe for Scotch Broth. I can navel find that either.


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## AuroraHawk (Sep 12, 2012)

jsriley5 said:


> I love Barley beef soup but it gets to where it isn't on the shleves much everyonec in a while I catch it but not always and not usually in a good quantity. I have bought the pearled barley and using a can of vegetable beef soup as a 'base" I added barley water and bouolion and got it to come out acceptably But I"m thinking since I am going to be doing a bit of canning and I"d like to make a pot of soup too might as well combine the effort.
> 
> Sooooo doesn anyone have a favorite recipe theyd like to share so I don't have to just wing it?


JS, I'll will be happy to share my recipe for beast and barley soup but please be patient with me. I don't do much baking because baking requires following a recipe and, to me, recipes are suggestions or inspirations. Pour a drink, sit back and relax and I'll walk you through making a pot of beast (in Alaska the beast isn't always beef) and barley soup.

You will need a granite-ware roaster (BIG) and a water bath canner large enough to process 7 or 8 quart jars, and parts of 2 days to make this soup.

The roaster is used to speed the cooking down time of the beast parts. IF I'm actually making beef and barley soup, I put beast/oxtail, shanks and several "dog" bones in the roaster, cover all with water and place the roaster over 2 burners on the stove. Bring the contents to a boil and lower heat until the liquid is at a hard simmer/low boil. While waiting through all of this, make a cheesecloth bag large enough to hold the spices/herbs listed below, or dig out your largest tea ball. Put coarse seasonings in the ball/bag and drop in the roaster.

Meat:

2-2 1/2 lbs oxtail
3-5 lbs beef shanks
several large knuckle bones (dog bones)

Coarse seasonings for tea ball or cheesecloth bag:

2 tbs rosemary
6-8 bay leaves, broken
2 tbs fresh cracked peppercorns (I prefer pepper melange/medley.)

Remove the bones and meat once the meat starts to fall off the bones. Allow to cool, remove excess fat and all bones. Return meat to the roaster and bring back to a boil for 5 minutes. Turn off heat and cool until you can safely move the roaster to a refrigerator, garage or someplace cool enough to keep the meat until the stock gels and the fat solidifies. I normally do this overnight.

Skim fat from meat and stock, transfer meat and stock to the canner, place on largest burner on your stove and bring to a boil. While this is heating you can add your preferred vegetable juice and the aromatics. Use the Better Than Bouillon if you feel the need, if not, add salt to taste.

2 or 3 large cans of Tomato/V8/Spicy Hot V8 juice 
4-6 tbs fresh chopped garlic (I like LOTS of garlic)
2 large onions, finely chopped

While the meat and stock are heating, in a separate pan, cook the barley according to the directions on the box EXCEPT cook for only half the time given. You do not want the barley to soak up all of the stock but you do want it to absorb flavor. Add barley to stock. Once this mixture has returned to a boil add your vegetables except the cabbage. Check seasoning and adjust if necessary.

3 or 4 bags of your favorite frozen vegetable mix OR several bags of individual vegetables (I use 2 or 3 bags of mixed vegetables, 1 bag of peas and 1 bag of baby lima beans.)
2 boxes of Barley
1 large jar of "Beef Better Than Bouillon" 
2 heads of cabbage cut into wedges

Once the other vegetables are cooked, place the cabbage wedges on top of the soup, cover, turn off heat and set the table for the army you are now able to feed. I serve this with lots of unsalted butter and crusty French bread.


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## AuroraHawk (Sep 12, 2012)

Oy! Don't throw the bones away. Toss them over the fence where that noisy, yappy, won't shut up, dog is and then be prepared to pour coffee and listen sympathetically when its owner babbles that he/she can't understand why his/her precious dog has been pooing white chalky stuff for the last 3 days.


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## jsriley5 (Sep 22, 2012)

Thanks Aurorahawk that soup sounds like a likely try though the beef n barley I"m thinking of is a tomatoless soup but your sounds good so I will probably do a big batch of each to can and put ont the shelves. OH and have plenty to eat now too  I totally understand about the suggestion thing I always "fix" the recipes I use (except for rhee Drummond the pioneer woman !!) And I am pretty sure I can "wing it" for a beef barley soup but am hoping someone else liked it well enough in the can to come up with a home recipe. And yeah I may be doing Beast soup as well if the oldest step son gets a deer I figure to have very little ground this time and will slice up the whole mucles to make jerk and bone it out to make soup stew and chilli. If he doesn't then I may see if dad is still willing to help me and go get one myslef in muzzloading season but I"d rather not it is just too painful to contemplate now.


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## AuroraHawk (Sep 12, 2012)

If you leave out the vegetables and juice you should have your beast and barley soup. The shanks will have lots of marrow in them. I mash it and leave it in the soup.

http://www.campbellskitchen.com/recipes/recipedetails?recipeid=23936

Or you can try Campbell's recipe. ; )


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## jsriley5 (Sep 22, 2012)

Yeah I doubt I need to worry to much about a recipe I"m pretty sure it is just beef broth with some meat left in and the barley cooked in it. Was just hedging my bet by asking around. SO is shopping now and hopefully will be bringing some beef on bone and more barley home I"ll start cooking a batch tonight or tommorrow and can it up the day after. I might make it a bit 'condensed" so I can use a quart to make a two quart. Meal or thin a bit more for a hot "drink" on the go from the thermos.


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## OleSarge (Oct 30, 2012)

Your recipe sounds great, and you are right I have more caribou and moose in the freezer than beef.


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## jsriley5 (Sep 22, 2012)

OS I"m jealous have never had the oportunity yet to try either of those as a fresh meat. Have heard especially good things about the caribou though. I have only ran across jerky and 'sticks' and you realy can't get a good taste fo the meat in those.


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## AuroraHawk (Sep 12, 2012)

My Christmas package from my sister, who lives in Kenai, will have moose, bear, king, red and silver salmon and a big bunch of smoked king bellies. 

"...please Christmas, don't be late..."


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## jsriley5 (Sep 22, 2012)

hope the mail is still running in december :/


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## AuroraHawk (Sep 12, 2012)

jsriley5 said:


> hope the mail is still running in december :/


Me too!

Did you make the soup? Did it turn out well?


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## jsriley5 (Sep 22, 2012)

I have not yet she did not find acceptable meat, and even if she had she has had control of the kitchen for the last two days, I don't think my input in there will be welcome until after thanks giving . Aparently she doesn't consider beef barley soup a thanksgiving food item


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## AuroraHawk (Sep 12, 2012)

jsriley5 said:


> Aparently she doesn't consider beef barley soup a thanksgiving food item


 Well dang! I know lots of folk who would be thankful to have some.


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## jsriley5 (Sep 22, 2012)

I help out with a few minutes of stirring this or that, or dumping somthing in while she mixes since her hands are buttery, anything that doesn't take too long as I can't stand for long. 
But otherwise I pretty well stay out of it. She is a most awesome cook and doesn't meed my input. I am a pretty fair cook myself but the inability to stand long has but a big crimp in my coking.
I"d be glad to have it too but she needs lots of space when she cooks she uses the WHOLE kitchen


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## AuroraHawk (Sep 12, 2012)

jsriley5 said:


> I help out with a few minutes of stirring this or that, or dumping somthing in while she mixes since her hands are buttery, anything that doesn't take too long as I can't stand for long.
> But otherwise I pretty well stay out of it. She is a most awesome cook and doesn't meed my input. I am a pretty fair cook myself but the inability to stand long has but a big crimp in my coking.
> I"d be glad to have it too but she needs lots of space when she cooks she uses the WHOLE kitchen


I don't know why you can't stand for very long but sacroilitis on both sides of the sacroiliac, bursitis in both hips, and osteoarthritis in both knees, has put a huge crimp in my kitchen time too, so I know how it feels. Davis is a fairly good cook but he uses a cookbook too much. Thank goodness he is willing to try new things and is learning to experiment with different seasonings and condiments...AND since he does the baking, I don't complain.


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## jsriley5 (Sep 22, 2012)

Still haven't gotten too it apparently my lil bit of being up a few minutes at a time to do some gun maintenance which caused some severe discomfort has also caused swellin in the spine as I have been getting worse and worse and for the last two days have not been able to get out of bed for much more than going to the bathroom. And I"m doubling up on my Vicodin and Morphine I take for pain and it isn't helping all that much. So figuring the speed at which spinal swelling goes unless I can convince my VA doc to order some steroids without a office visit I"m probably down for a week or so. Not on here as much either as I find it hard to type flat on my back. Hopefully it will go down fast and I can be on my feet some in a few days.


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## AuroraHawk (Sep 12, 2012)

Ouch! I hope you manage to get some relief soon.


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## Startingout-Blair (Aug 28, 2012)

jsriley5 said:


> Still haven't gotten too it apparently my lil bit of being up a few minutes at a time to do some gun maintenance which caused some severe discomfort has also caused swellin in the spine as I have been getting worse and worse and for the last two days have not been able to get out of bed for much more than going to the bathroom. And I"m doubling up on my Vicodin and Morphine I take for pain and it isn't helping all that much. So figuring the speed at which spinal swelling goes unless I can convince my VA doc to order some steroids without a office visit I"m probably down for a week or so. Not on here as much either as I find it hard to type flat on my back. Hopefully it will go down fast and I can be on my feet some in a few days.


I understand. I'm in the same boat. This weather change has really put me down and my lower spine is also swollen


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