Mexican Sliced Steak And Barley Soup Food

SLICED STEAK AND MUSHROOM BARLEY SOUP

Steps:

• Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil. Add the barley and cook to just shy of tender, 25 to 30 minutes. Drain in a sieve and run under cold water, then drain again. Put the dried porcini mushrooms in a small saucepan with about 2 cups water. Bring to a low boil, then simmer until tender. Transfer the mushrooms with a slotted spoon to a food processor. Pour in all but the last few spoonfuls of the cooking liquid (grit from the mushrooms may settle there). Puree until smooth. Heat the EVOO in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the portobello mushrooms and cook until browned. Add the thyme, shallots, celery and carrots and season with salt and pepper. Cook until the vegetables are tender, 5 to 6 minutes. Deglaze with the sherry, stirring and scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon. Stir in the stock, porcini puree and Roasted Garlic Paste. Meanwhile, bring the steak to room temperature and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Drizzle the steak with EVOO, then cook for 7 to 8 minutes, turning once. Let rest on a cutting board for 10 minutes, then thinly slice and cut into bite-size pieces. Dress with the Worcestershire sauce. Stir the parsley and barley into the soup, then ladle into shallow bowls. Arrange the steak on top of the soup.
• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Arrange the garlic in a cluster on a large piece of foil and drizzle with 1/4 cup EVOO. Wrap up the garlic in the foil to make a tightly sealed pouch. Roast until very tender, about 45 minutes. Let cool, then squeeze the garlic from the skins into a food processor. Add the remaining 3/4 cup EVOO and the honey and season with salt and pepper. Puree until smooth, then transfer to a small container. (Alternatively, you can mash the garlic paste with a fork instead of using a food processor.)
• Note: To ensure the best results, this recipe has been altered and differs from what appears in the episode.

HEARTY BEEF AND BARLEY SOUP WITH ROOT VEGETABLES

Steps:

• Heat 1 tablespoon oil over moderate heat in a large pot.
• Add the steak and brown well, stirring occasionally.
• Remove steak and leave the juice.
• Add the remaining teaspoon of oil, onion, bay leaf and caraway seeds.
• Cook for about 4 more minutes.
• Add the carrots, parsnips, turnip, rutabaga, barley, and thyme.
• Stirring constantly, cook for about 5 minutes.
• Stir in bouillon, water, tomato paste, salt, and pepper.
• Bring to a boil over high heat.
• Immediately reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes.
• Discard bay leaf, stir in the spinach and serve.