Beef Short Rib and Barley Soup

Directions

• Generously rub the short ribs with salt. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a medium stock pot, and brown the ribs on each side for 2-3 minutes.
• Remove ribs from pot and set aside. Splash a little more olive oil in pot, and add onions, carrots, parsnips, and celery. Sauté until onions begin to turn translucent. Then add the garlic and cook for a couple more minutes.
• Add the wine and deglaze the pot, scraping the bottom with a wooden spoon.
• Pour in the beef broth, and stir in thyme, black pepper, bay leaf, and 1/2 teaspoon salt.
• Return ribs to the pot, and let the soup come up to a simmer. Cook at a very low simmer for 4 hours.
• Let the pot cool enough to place the entire pot in the refrigerator for the night. The next day, skim off the layer of white fat that has risen and solidified.
• Return pot to stove and set to medium-low heat. Remove the ribs from the pot and chop them up, discarding any obvious hunks of fat.
• Remove bay leaf from pot, and add barley. Add chopped-up rib meat to the pot.
• Cook over medium-low heat for 45 minutes. Serve.
• Tip: If not serving the same day, delay adding the barley and re-heating until the day it will be eaten.