Bear and Barley Soup
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I was lucky enough to get the chance to butcher a bear for a friend and bring home some of the meat. I decided to make this hearty soup with it.
This soup is a cross between beef and barley and beef stew with the addition of potatoes, corn, peas, and carrots and bear meat standing in for beef in the soup. This soup is velvety, packed full of flavor, and a very hearty dish for these cold fall days!
Serves: 4
Also Make With: Any stew meat
Time to Cook: 2+ hours
Looking for more bear recipes? Try these Smothered Black Bear Chops!
Bear and Barley Soup
4
servings30
minutes2
hoursKeep the screen of your device on
Ingredients
2 lbs stew meat (bear, beef, venison, etc)
1 medium white onion, diced
2 -3 large carrots, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
4 cloves garlic minced
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 cup dry red wine
2 quarts stock / broth of your choice
1 lb stock bones
1 tbsp Italian seasoning
2 tbsp your favorite meat seasoning, such as Harvesting Nature’s Big Game Blend
3 bay leaves
1 tbsp whole black peppercorns
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
2 tbsp oil (or rendered game fat)
1 can beer
1 cup barley
2 large Yukon gold potatoes, diced
½ cup frozen peas
1 cup corn (frozen or off the cob)
Salt to taste
Preparation
- Season your stew meat with your favorite meat seasoning and brown in a large heavy bottom pot over high heat until browned on all sides. Remove and add oil, onion, carrot, celery, and bay leaf. Saute until slightly translucent.
- Add in garlic, tomato paste, and Italian seasoning and allow to cook for a minute. Add in red wine to deglaze pot and allow to cook down until almost gone. Add in your broth, can of beer, and Worcestershire and stir well.
- Separately, wrap your stock bones and peppercorns in cheesecloth and tie tightly. This makes removal easier later on. Add to pot and bring to a boil.
- Once boiling, reduce to a simmer and add meat back in. Cook on low until meat is tender and there is a good bit of fat floating on the top.
- Remove bone packet and set aside and save the juices coming off of it to add back in. Add barley and potatoes and allow to cook until barley and potatoes are tender to the tooth.
- Pour back in reserved liquid, add peas and corn, and allow to cook until those are warmed through. Adjust salt level if needed and thin out with water as needed too if it’s too thick.
- Serve and enjoy!
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