Hearty Beef Stew

Another hearty stick-to-your bones soup. I like finding recipes like this because where I live winter is freezing, and we spend a lot of time out in our barn, so it's good to have hearty foods out in the cold.

• Ready In: 3 hrs 30 mins
• Serves: 10

Ingredients

• 2  lbs  soup bones with meat or 2  lbs  beef shanks or 2  lbs  beef short ribs
• 6  cups water
• 5  medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 5  medium carrots, chopped
• 1  medium onion, chopped
• 1⁄2 cup  medium pearl barley
• 1 (28 ounce) can plum tomatoes, undrained
• 1 -1 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
• 2  garlic cloves, minced
• 1  bay leaf
• 3  tablespoons cornstarch
• 1⁄2 cup cold water

Directions

1. Place soup bones and water in a soup kettle or Dutch oven.
2. Slowly bring to a boil.
3. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 2 hours. Set beef bones aside until cool enough to handle.
4. Remove meat from bones; discard bones and return meat to broth.
5. Add the potatoes, carrots, onion, barley, tomatoes, salt, pepper, garlic, and bay leaf.
6. Cover and simmer for 50 - 60 minutes or until vegetables and barley are tender. discard bay leaf.
7. Combine cornstarch and cold water until smooth; stir into stew.
8. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened.