Beef and Barley Stew with drop biscuits.

The original recipe can be found here, but I changed it quite a bit and was *VERY* pleased with the outcome.

1 lb london broil cubed (any cut would probably work, but I had this piece leftover from a buy one get one free deal.)
1/2 large onion diced
1 lb of mushrooms. (I peeled each mushroom and then quartered it.)
8 cloves garlic crushed
2 lbs carrots
1 bay leaf
1 Tbsp Thyme (I used dry.)
32 ounces beef broth
32 ounces chicken broth
2 cups pearl barley *See note

Brown the cubed pieces of beef in olive oil in a large sauce pot on medium high.  Once the beef is browned on both sides move it to a bowl and set it aside with juice from  bottom of pot.  Lower heat to medium, add more olive oil, and brown onions in pot adding a little salt as they brown.  Add mushrooms with few more dashes of salt and cook until until slightly brown.  Toss in garlic and sweat for 5 minutes.  Cut up carrots into large chunks and toss into pot.  Add bay leaves, thyme, broth and HALF of the pearl barley.  Stir well, scraping bottom of pot to get browned bits incorporated into liquid.  Bring to a boil and lower to a very low heat.  Simmer for one hour and add remainder of pearl barley.  Simmer for another hour and serve, salt and peppered to taste.

Note:  The original recipe called for ONE cup of pearl barley and it was added in the last hour of cooking.  I added another cup to try and stretch this recipe further and it *really* did.  I got three extra meals out of it.  That said, it made the stew rather dry (hardly any liquid to sop up with my biscuits).  So, if you want a wetter stew either leave out one cup of barley or add another cup or two of beef broth.

Drop biscuits.
This recipe makes 4 drop biscuits.  That's all I make at one time since I cook for one person but I'm sure the recipe would be just as good increased for more.

Into a food processor bowl:
1/2 C flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/8 baking powder
1/8 tsp sugar

Pulse to mix.

Add 2 tbsp of frozen (or very cold) butter cut into small pieces and pulse to look like loose bread crumbs. Add 2tbsp of plain yogurt and pulse again.  Continue adding yogurt one tbsp at a time, pulsing in between, until the dough comes together in a sticky ball.  Pinch off four sections drop onto an ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake @ 400 degrees until brown on bottom and on the 'peaks' on the biscuits start to brown.


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I had a big lunch and dinner, plus another lunch for Monday at work from the pot.  The extra barley added enough bulk for 3 more large meals ready to be frozen (that leftover biscuit will make a nice snack later!).