My personal favorite is the chuck roast. This cut is from the shoulder muscles. At first, this cut will seem quite tough, but over the course of cooking it will break down into succulent, tender, wonderfully flavored pieces of beef. The chuck roast derives a lot of its rich taste from the fat and the connective tissue. You can cut the chuck into bite-size pieces or, better yet, sear it, drop the whole chuck in the stockpot, and let it simmer for a couple of hours.
When it is fork tender, remove it from the soup and trim it. Cut the delicious meat away from the fat and unwanted gristle. Return those delicious bites of simmered beef back to the soup. Other cuts that you could use are Round roasts, rump roasts, and pot roasts. I have learned that various regions have different names for cuts of beef.
Stew meat is by far the fastest but not always the tastiest. If you choose the stew meat start with pieces that are visually similar, are of a consistent size, and have a fair amount of white striping (fat and connective tissue) throughout, as this will give it more flavor.
RECIPE NOTES AND HELPFUL TIPS
If you have the time use the chuck roast. It has more flavor and will be more tender.
Sear the beef in a little oil.
If you are preparing for company, peel the carrots. They have a much nicer appearance peeled; after all, food should be aesthetically appealing.
Use low-sodium beef broth, so the salt does not become the dominant seasoning.
If you like a lot of flavor, add plenty of fresh cracked pepper and a couple of pinches of Cajun seasoning or cayenne pepper.
Do not overcook the barley, as it will get too mushy if allowed to simmer and simmer.
Ingredients
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