If using chuck roast, simmer for about 1 1/2 hours or until the roast is fork-tender. If using stew meat, simmer for about 20 minutes
Add the corn and the barley. Cook until the barley is tender. Use the medium barley with the chuck roast; it will take about 45 minutes for the barley to swell and be soft. Use the quick barley with the stew meat, which will take about 15 minutes to cook.
Remove the roast from the pot and trim, cutting the tender beef away from any gristle or fat. Cut or shred into bite-size chunks and return to the pot.
WHAT CUT OF BEEF IS BEST?
My personal favorite is the chuck roast. This cut is from the shoulder muscles. At first, this cut will seem quite tough, but over the course of cooking it will break down into succulent, tender, wonderfully flavored pieces of beef. The chuck roast derives a lot of its rich taste from the fat and the connective tissue. You can cut the chuck into bite-size pieces or, better yet, sear it, drop the whole chuck in the stockpot, and let it simmer for a couple of hours.
When it is fork tender, remove it from the soup and trim it. Cut the delicious meat away from the fat and unwanted gristle. Return those delicious bites of simmered beef back to the soup. Other cuts that you could use are Round roasts, rump roasts, and pot roasts. I have learned that various regions have different names for cuts of beef.
Stew meat is by far the fastest but not always the tastiest. If you choose the stew meat start with pieces that are visually similar, are of a consistent size, and have a fair amount of white striping (fat and connective tissue) throughout, as this will give it more flavor.
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