Slow Cooked Beef, Barley and Vegetable Casserole

Preparation

• 1
  Cut the beef into large bite sized pieces.
• 2
  Prepare the vegetables. Peel the onions, cut into quarters and slice thickly. Peel the swede and sweet potato and cut into small chunks. Peel the carrots, halve lengthways and chop fairly thickly. Wash the leeks and celery then slice. Wipe and slice the mushrooms then peel and finely chop the garlic.
• 3
  Season the beef well with salt and black pepper. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large heavy based pan then sear half of the beef pieces on one side for about 2 minutes, to brown them, then turn them and sear the other side. Use a slotted spoon to lift them onto a plate then repeat with the remaining chunks of beef. Set to one side.
• 4
  Turn the heat down a little, add the sliced onion to the pan and cook for 3 minutes
• 5
  you may need to add a little more oil. Stir with a wooden spoon, scraping up and incorporating any juices or crusty bits of meat.
• 6
  Add the swede, sweet potato, carrots, leeks and celery then cook and stir for another 2-3 minutes, adding the garlic and barley too for the last minute.
• 7
  Stir in the mushrooms and cook for just a minute. Return the beef to the pan and carefully tip it all into the slow cooker.
• 8
  Pour in the tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce and beef stock and stir well. Finely chop the rosemary and thyme leaves then add them to the casserole.
• 9
  Bring to a simmer and set the slow cooker to high, stirring occasionally and cooking for at least 4 hours, preferably for 5, until the beef is tender, the barley cooked and the vegetables soft. There should be enough cooking liquid but do check from time to time
• 10
  you don’t want it to dry out.
• 11
  Check the seasoning before serving and adjust if necessary.