Ingredients
- 2 T + 2 t of canola oil
- 1 ½ – 2 lbs beef shank, shin or other tough meet on the bone. Trim fat
- Salt and pepper
- 3-4 carrots, diced
- ½ onion diced
- 2-3 stalks of celery diced
- 1 tsp minced garlic
- 12 cups beef broth (start with 10, the other two may be needed later)
- 2 talks thyme tied in a bundle
- 1 28 oz can of whole tomatoes, chopped
- 1 Cup pearl barley, rinsed
- 1 – 1 ½ lb medium button mushrooms, cleaned, trimmed and quartered
- 2-3 Tb unsalted butter
- 3 Tsp flat leaf parsley, minced
Procedures
Heat a large soup pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat; add 2 tablespoons of the oil. Season the meat generously with salt and pepper. Sear the meat on all sides until well browned; this will take about 15 minutes. Set the meat aside and wipe the pan out with a paper towel. Lower the heat to medium, add the oil to the pan. Add the carrot, onion, and celery to the pan and sauté until tender, about 10 minutes. During the last minute, add the garlic. Return the meat to the pan with the broth. Bring to a boil, adjust the heat to maintain a gentle simmer, cover, and cook for 1 1/2 hours or until the meat is just tender. Add the thyme, barley, and tomato, continue to simmer the soup, covered, for 45 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a medium sauté pan, heat the butter over medium-high heat, add the mushrooms and sauté until golden, about 10 minutes. Season the mushrooms with salt and pepper to taste, and add them to the soup, and simmer for 15 minutes more. Remove the meat from the soup; cut the meat from the bone and dice. Skim any fat from the surface of the soup with a ladle or large spoon. Return the meat to the soup with the parsley. Season the soup with salt and pepper to taste. Serve in warm bowls.
Cook’s Note: If making the soup in advance, adjust the consistency of the soup when re-heating with water, since the barley has a tendency to absorb the broth.
