Entree: Russia – Buryat & Lake Baikal – Бухлер ➤ Bukhler (Hearty Buryat meat and root-vegetable stew with barley)

Food safety reminder: Follow safe food-handling practices and use a food thermometer to verify safe internal cooking temperatures.

Serving Size: 4

Approximate Time

Prep 20 min

Cook 1 hr 45 min

Total 2 hrs 5 min

Ingredients

- 2 tbsp (30 ml) vegetable oil
- 1.5 lb (680 g) beef chuck or mutton shoulder, cut into 1-inch (2.5 cm) pieces
- 1 large onion, about 8 oz (225 g), chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 medium potatoes, about 12 oz (340 g), peeled and cut into chunks
- 2 carrots, about 6 oz (170 g), sliced into rounds
- 1/2 cup (90 g) pearl barley, rinsed
- 4 cups (960 ml) beef or meat broth, plus extra as needed
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tsp (5 g) salt, or to taste
- 1/2 tsp (1 g) freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tbsp (8 g) chopped fresh parsley for garnish

Instructions

1. Heat the oil in a heavy pot over medium-high heat. Pat the meat dry and brown in batches until deeply caramelized, transfer to a plate. Reduce heat to medium, add the onion and cook until softened, 5–7 minutes; stir in garlic and cook 30 seconds. Return the meat to the pot, add barley, potatoes, carrots, bay leaves and pour in the broth to just cover. Bring to a gentle boil, skimming any foam.
2. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer gently until the meat and barley are tender, about 1½–2 hours (add more hot broth or water if needed). Remove bay leaves, adjust salt and pepper, and serve hot garnished with chopped parsley.