In tsarist Russia - tsar’s porridge, in the Soviet army - “fraction 16”, but in fact - very tasty and healthy pearl barley porridge ... Unfortunately, modern housewives have undeservedly forgotten about it. But if in your house there is such a kitchen helper as a crock-pot, then you should definitely cook barley with beef. The process will be so simplified that you don’t even realize that you have prepared dinner. A kitchen unit will practically do all the work for you. The hostess only needs to choose quality ingredients and properly prepare them.
List of Essential Ingredients
It is long but simple:
- 480 g of beef;
- three carrots;
- one onion;
- four potatoes;
- a teaspoon of oil;
- a glass of barley;
- one and a half liters of broth (beef or vegetable);
- salt;
- thyme;
- a spoon of flour;
- rosemary;
- ground black pepper.
If desired, fresh greens.
Cooking Beef with Barley
A recipe with a photo and a step-by-step description will help the housewives cope with the task. Getting down.
To begin, set the "Baking" mode on the multicooker and lightly fry the onions in sunflower or olive oil. We place the washed pearl barley in the multicooker bowl after the onion has a golden hue. You can put a few whole cloves of garlic on top. If the meat is cooked in a slow cooker, then the garlic can not be cut, but put whole. Peel the potatoes and cut them into cubes. Wash, peel the carrots and cut into large circles
Grind aromatic herbs (rosemary and thyme), mix with flour and set aside. We cut the meat into fairly small pieces across the fibers. It is important to remember that beef is quite tough meat, so before cooking it is recommended to lightly beat off with a kitchen hammer. Now roll the pieces in a mixture prepared a little earlier from flour and herbs.
We put the beef in the bowl of the multicooker, add salt, put the vegetables and close the lid. You can cook beef with barley in the slow cooker in the "Porridge", "Buckwheat", "Soup" or "Baking" mode. It is enough to set 40 minutes of time, and the dish will be ready. After the signal that the kitchen assistant gives out, we are in no hurry to open the lid. We transfer the unit to the "Heating" mode, leave the dish to "rest" for 15 minutes.
Secrets and Nuances
To make a tasty dish, it is important not only to know the recipe for its preparation, but also to be aware of some of the nuances of cooking. We bring to your attention tips and secrets that are used by experienced housewives and which relate directly to the preparation of barley with beef in a slow cooker.
Perlovka
First, a few words about porridge. To make pearl barley tasty, fragrant and crumbly, it is imperative to fill it with cold water and soak for several hours. It is better if pearl barley will swell within 10-12 hours. Before sending cereals into the water, you can also sort out the grains. Additional sorting will also be at the stage of washing cereals in a colander.
Meat
Any meat is perfectly combined with pearl barley . You can cook barley with beef in a slow cooker, with duck, chicken, pork or lamb. It is important that the meat is of high quality, purchased from a trusted manufacturer and supplier. Often housewives use stew. Better if she will be her own cooking.
The meat is always cut in equal pieces so that it is cooked evenly. In some recipes, preliminary roasting of meat with onions and carrots is allowed. You can also put the meat immediately with the cereal without frying.
Additional ingredients
The classic recipe for pearl barley with beef can be varied by adding only one additional product. Most often, pearl barley porridge with meat is accompanied by a certain set of vegetables: carrots, onions, potatoes. However, no one forbids the hostess to put sweet bell pepper, hot spicy chili peppers, circles of young zucchini, fresh tomatoes and even mushrooms in the dish. By the way, vegetables can be prepared separately in the steam container of the multicooker and serve them as a side dish for porridge with meat.
Undeservedly forgotten
At the end of our culinary story, I would like to say a few words about the benefits of undeservedly forgotten pearl barley. In its composition, "fraction 16" contains vitamin C, starch, B vitamins, protein, potassium and magnesium, vitamin D and phosphorus, iron and other useful trace elements.
If you want to lose weight, then this porridge is simply irreplaceable. Due to the large amount of fiber, the product helps to remove toxins from the body, improve metabolism.
Barley with beef will help fight viruses and bacteria, will improve visual function, as well as make the skin more elastic and young.
Barley porridge is especially useful for the female body during menopause. Its phosphorus is invaluable to women's health. It helps to smooth out unpleasant symptoms, reduce sweating and irritability.
Pearl barley is also needed for pregnant women. Due to the large amount of calcium, phosphorus and potassium, the product is indispensable for the correct and healthy development of the baby. In addition, doctors recommend barley to those women whose blood levels of hemoglobin are low.
In order to improve the child’s vision and memory, strengthen children's immunity and protect the baby’s body from frequent colds, pearl barley must be introduced into the diet. It is recommended to include this product in the child’s diet after 3 years. Before introducing porridge into the diet, consult with a children's doctor, as some babies may have contraindications to the use of this food product.