Beef Barley Soup

• 4 short ribs
• 1 lg sweet onion
• 2-3 cloves garlic
• 1-2 leeks (whites only)
• 1 fennel bulb (not the top)
• 2 carrots
• (also called for celery but I don't like it)
• Mushrooms
• 3Qt beef broth
• 1/2 bottle of red wine, recipe called for chianti, I used shiraz, just a heavy red should work
• Rosemary (2-4 springs)
• Thyme (3-5 springs)
• Pinch of sugar - called for brown I only had white
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• Barley - rehydrated per package directions (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees
2. Salt and pepper short ribs on all sides
3. Bake for 15 min
4. Meanwhile heat olive oil in dutch oven, add fennel, leek, onion, carrot, garlic and cook over medium-low for ~20 min until soft
5. Add tomato paste, stir through, add half bottle of wine and bring to a boil - reduce liquid for about 10 min, season with salt and pepper
6. Add the herbs by tying together with twine and putting in pot
7. Add short ribs and pinch of sugar
8. Add as much broth as will fit - mine took 2.5 qt then once reduced I actually added the rest
9. Bring to a simmer and cook covered for 2+ hours, add cooked barley half way through
10. Remove herbs
11. I actually refrigerated overnight, skimmed the fat and took all the meet of the bones by hand once the meet was cool, you could cut it off
12. Bring back up to a simmer, add mushrooms, cook for 5-10 min with mushrooms in.
13. EAT

short ribs, sweet onion, garlic, leeks, fennel, carrots, celery, mushrooms, beef broth, red wine, rosemary, thyme, sugar, tomato, barley

Taken from www.epicurious.com/recipes/member/views/beef-barley-soup-52509461 (may not work)