"Mulligan" Beef & Barley Skillet Stew
Sides, Soups & Salads
There is a singular comfort in sitting at a diner counter on a rainy Tuesday night, staring down a bottomless cup of coffee and a Blue Plate Special. Mulligan Stew—born in the rail camps of the early 1900s—eventually found its permanent home on the menus of America's highways. Real diner stews aren’t fussy, and they don't take all day. The short-order cook doesn't have five hours to braise short ribs; they have a screaming hot flat-top, a heavy spatula, and a lineup of hungry drivers. By cutting the beef small, searing it hard, and utilizing the all-important SCRAPE to capture every ounce of flavor, this thick, stick-to-your-ribs stew delivers that authentic Route 1 comfort in your cast-iron skillet in under an hour.
Before you start
Prep your mise en place before the oil hits the pan.
In a diner, once the ticket prints, you can't be stopping to chop carrots. Have your onions, carrots, celery, and potatoes diced and ready in containers before you start cooking.
Ingredients
- beef chuck1 1/2 lb
- all-purpose flour3 tbsp
- kosher salt1 tsp
- coarse black pepper1 tsp
- vegetable oil2 tbsp
- unsalted butter1 tbsp
- yellow onion1 large
- carrots2 med
- celery2 med
- garlic3 small
- tomato paste2 tbsp
- Worcestershire sauce1 tbsp
- beef broth4 cup
- pearl barley1/2 cup
- Russet potato1 large
- dried thyme1 tsp
- dried oregano1/2 tsp
- frozen mixed vegetables1 cup
- fresh parsley2 tbsp
Method
- 01
Toss the dried beef cubes with the flour, salt, and black pepper until perfectly coated.
Moisture is the enemy of a good sear; if the beef goes into the pan wet, the temperature of the cast iron plummets and the flour turns to gummy paste rather than a caramelized crust.
- 02
Heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat until it legitimately radiates heat, then add the vegetable oil.
- 03
Sear the beef in a single layer in two batches, leaving it entirely untouched for three full minutes.
Let it crust. Flip and sear for another two minutes, then remove the beef to a side plate. The dark, crusty residue left behind is your fond, and it is exactly what you want.
- 04
Lower the heat to medium, melt the butter, and immediately add the onion, carrots, and celery.
As the vegetables hit the hot pan and release their natural moisture, take a stiff metal spatula and aggressively perform the SCRAPE—digging into the bottom of the cast iron to lift up all those caramelized, floury beef bits.
- 05
Cook the vegetables for four to five minutes until translucent, add the garlic for one minute, then push everything to the edges and drop the tomato paste into the center.
Let the paste cook directly on the iron for about sixty seconds until it darkens to a rust color to cook out the tinny flavor, then stir it into the vegetables with the Worcestershire sauce.
- 06
Pour in the beef broth and return the beef, pearl barley, potatoes, thyme, and oregano to the skillet.
Stir well, bring the liquid to a rolling boil, then immediately drop the heat to low. Cover the skillet tightly and let it simmer for thirty minutes.
- 07
Uncover the skillet, verify the beef and barley are tender, and let it bubble for a few minutes if the gravy needs further thickening.
Stir in the frozen mixed vegetables and let them cook for just two minutes to heat through and maintain their bright color and snap. Garnish with parsley and serve immediately.
Notes
Manage your skillet real estate.
If you only have a smaller 8-inch cast-iron skillet, attempt to simmer this and it will overflow. Execute the sear and the SCRAPE in the smaller skillet, then transfer the ingredients to a standard Dutch oven before adding the broth to simmer.
Mind your barley.
Do not substitute hulled barley for pearl barley. Hulled barley takes significantly longer to cook and will remain tough in the thirty-minute timeframe of this short-order adaptation.
From Cook Diner Food at Home.