Beef and Barley Soup I

Ingredients

• 2 beef soup bones
• 2 tablespoons kosher salt
• 5 stalks celery
• 1 onion, quartered
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 'bouqet garni' spice balls
• 1/2 pound baby carrots
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley
• 11 cloves garlic, peeled
• 1 cup barley

Directions

Method written by CompKitchen from the ingredient list. Not the original author's method, not kitchen-tested.

1. Place the beef soup bones in a large stockpot and cover with water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then drain and rinse the bones under cool water.

2. Return the bones to the clean pot and cover with fresh water. Add the quartered onion, celery stalks, garlic cloves and both spice balls. Bring to a boil, then reduce to low heat.

3. Simmer gently over low heat for 5 hours, skimming off foam from the surface every 30 minutes, until the beef is tender and reaches at least 145°F (63°C) inside.

4. Stir in the kosher salt and ground black pepper. Simmer for 2 more hours over low heat.

5. Remove the bones, celery, onion and spice balls with a slotted spoon and discard them. Let the bones cool, then pull off the meat, discard fat and gristle, and return the meat to the pot.

6. Add the barley and baby carrots to the pot. Simmer over low heat for 1 hour, until the barley and carrots are tender.

7. Stir in the chopped fresh parsley just before serving, and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper if needed.