Have a hankering for beef and barley soup

[BR44]

Any tried and tested recipes? Sort of soupy/stewey with chopped veg. I could probably have a good bash at making one up except I'm not sure whet cut if beef to use. Shin?

Shin or skirt is best for long, slow cooking. The one I make involves about a pound of beef, diced quite small and then browned all over in a little hot dripping before you start so that it is quite a dark colour. Remove and reserve. Finely chop a couple of thick rashers of smoked bacon (or some lardons) and do the same. Peel & dice a large onion, 2 stalks celery, 3 carrots and half a swede (or potato if you don't like swede) to the same size as the beef and brown this in the the same oil. Now add a couple of bayleaves and a small bunch of thyme to the pot, return all the veg/meat, 3oz barley, a tablespoon tomato puree, good dash of Worcester Sauce, plenty of pepper, salt and about 2 - 3 pints beef stock. Put on a lid and simmer gently for 2+ hours. Top up with water if any evaporates. Remove the bayleaf & thyme stalks before serving.

If you want to make a stew out of the same ingredients, cut everything a bit larger, toss the beef in seasoned flour before you fry it off and only use about 1 pint beef stock.