How to cook pearl barley with meat in a slow cooker?

Pearl barley - this is the real wealth of nutrients, which is full of vitamins and minerals. That's just not everyone treats this treasure properly, and in vain. In the name of the barley is hidden secret meaning, where the "pearl" is translated as "pearl".

In ancient times, people believed that pearl barley was intended exclusively for the rich. But now barley stands on the shelves of all grocery stores and is at the peak of culinary fashion. Famous restaurants offer their customers a varied menu, where a significant part of the dishes is based on barley porridge.

In the composition of pearl barley there is a mass of useful substances that help to increase the tone, fill the human body with energy and give a feeling of satiety for a long time. Among other things, pearl barley is rich in phosphorus, which contributes to the even absorption of calcium, normalizes the metabolic process in the body, has a positive effect on the brain and nervous systems.

Incidentally, in ancient times, barley porridge was used for medical purposes. She fed people suffering from colds. In the composition of barley there is a substance - hordecin, which has antibacterial functions.

Currently, barley is presented in various types and variations of packaging. To make the right choice you need to know some of the nuances. On the shelves of stores is very often found "Barley Groats", this is pearl barley, only in a crushed state. Unfortunately, there are very few useful qualities after processing.

In general, pearl barley is polished grains, peeled from the husk. On the packages, the numbering of the variety is indicated, where the first number indicates the large size of the seed with an elongated shape. The higher the number, the smaller the size of the cereal, and the shape of the grains becomes round.

It is best to give preference to pearl barley, packed in cardboard boxes. Cellophane packaging adversely affects the croup, in a confined space moisture is released, contributing to the reproduction of harmful organisms, which makes the barley bitter. If drops are visible inside the bag, it means that the croup has lost its useful properties and it is strictly prohibited to take it.

Perlovka is considered one of the symbols of healthy human nutrition, but in addition to the healthy values ​​of the dish must also be tasty. To do this, you need to follow a few rules that will turn ordinary pearl barley into a masterpiece of culinary creation.

• Before starting the preparation, rinse the barley thoroughly, then pour boiling water over it and soak it for five hours.
• To get rid of the hardness of pearl barley it must be washed, pour boiling water, and leave for ten hours. As soon as the grains swell to the required size, the croup is rewashed several times.
• Barley involves cooking not only porridge. It is harmoniously combined with various types of meat products. But to complete the taste of the finished dish, the meat must be cut into small pieces, and ideally use minced meat.
• Meat porridge first requires the preparation of meat, and after that vegetables and soaked pearl barley are added.
• Unlike stew meat, barley porridge is laid out at the very last moment. This tip helps to make porridge more juicy, and its taste is saturated.
• To supplement the taste sensations in the meat barley porridge should add vegetables or mushrooms.

Barley porridge is a very satisfying dish, but not everybody knows the right way of cooking. Perhaps that is why at home it is rarely cooked. Often, the croup turns out to be stiff and slightly bland.But if you follow the rules of preliminary preparation, then porridge will seem soft and tender.

In addition, pearl barley can be used not only as a separate dish. It fits perfectly with meat ingredients and vegetables. Thanks to this feature, each hostess will wash off to prepare an unusual hearty dinner for the whole family.

Modern kitchen equipment allows you to cook barley in the oven, on the stove, in the slow cooker and even in the bread maker. But the use of multicooker is especially convenient. Firstly, nothing burns, secondly, the beneficial substances of all the products used are preserved, and thirdly, this is the final result, filled with charming aroma and divine taste.

Multicooker in its features is a unique invention and allows you to cook dishes of varying complexity, for example, barley with meat and mushrooms. This preserves the elegance of taste of each ingredient.

Perchka with the addition of chicken may seem to be quite a common option for pilaf, but there are still some differences between these dishes, especially considering that the cooking process takes place in a slow cooker.

For cooking you will need:

• chicken - 500 g;
• pearl barley - 2 tbsp .;
• onions - 2 pcs .;
• carrots - 3 pcs .;
• butter - 1 tbsp. l .;
• Purchased seasoning “To plov” - 1 tsp.

We disassemble a detailed method of cooking.

• The chicken is divided into pieces, washed and sent to the multicooker bowl with sunflower oil on the bottom. On the device panel is installed the program "Frying". Time can not fix, because the process must take place in front of the cook. Meat should be evenly fried.
• While the chicken is being cooked, it is necessary to chop the vegetables, preferably as for an ordinary pilau.
• As soon as it becomes clear that the meat gets a ruddy shade, chopped vegetables are placed in the bowl. The program "Zharka" continues to work.
• As soon as the vegetables are ready, the barley is dropped into the bowl. Just at this moment you can add a little salt or add seasoning.
• Water is poured in from above, in this quantity of products four glasses are enough. The lid closes. The program "Frying" is changed to "Pilaf" or "Porridge", depending on the brand of manufacturer and model. Cooking time is fixed for one hour.
• After the end of the program, do not immediately open the lid. Eminent chefs advise you to hold the finished dish on the heating program for half an hour. From this porridge becomes fragrant and tastier.

Barley with minced meat is cooked much faster, because you do not have to spend time cutting the whole piece of meat.

For cooking you will need:

• Any stuffing - 500 g;
• pearl barley - 2 tbsp .;
• carrots - 1 pc .;
• onions - 1 pc .;
• butter - 2 tbsp. l .;
• spices - at the discretion.

Consider the classic method of cooking barley porridge with minced meat in a slow cooker.

• The stuffing should be kneaded until smooth. Vegetables are required to cut very fine, for lazy hostesses advice, use a combine.
• Vegetables are placed in the multicooker bowl, sunflower oil is added, the Baking program is turned on.
• As soon as the vegetable mass begins to reach readiness, it is necessary to put the stuffing in the bowl, but not in one piece, but gradually, in order to be able to mix the preparation evenly. Time for languor is fixed for fifteen minutes.
• After that, pearl barley is placed in the bowl, salt, pepper, spices are added, all at the discretion of the cook.
• Then pour a liter of boiling water only. The program "Baking" is changed to "Quenching". Fixed time 2 hours.
• Advice from the chef: five minutes before the readiness must be thrown into the cooking pot a couple of bay leaves.

Barley porridge in combination with beef and vegetable additives will allow everyone to reconsider their own opinions regarding healthy foods.After all, the result is not only a tasty dish, but also a full range of vitamins in the ingredients.

For cooking you will need:

• barley - 140 g;
• carrots - 1 pc .;
• onions - 1 pc .;
• beef - 200 g;
• sunflower oil - 1 tbsp. l .;
• salt - pinch;
• water - 500 g

The cooking method does not differ by any delights.

• The meat is cut into small pieces, seasonings, salt, pepper are added and sent to the slow cooker for ten minutes with the Baking program.
• At this time, onions and carrots are cut into small pieces, you can even use a grater. After the multicooker program is turned off, vegetables are added to the meat and the total weight is also prepared within ten minutes.
• After that pearl barley is poured into the billet. Added water in the amount of three glasses. Laid down a bay leaf. If necessary, supplemented with spices.
• After all the manipulations on the slow cooker, the Pilaf program is turned on, the cooking time is one and a half hours. After work, leave the porridge for 20 minutes in the "heating" mode.

Quite rarely there are people who have tried barley porridge with pork, but those who are lucky enough to try at least a spoon will never forget this bright taste.

For cooking you will need:

• pearl barley - 1 tbsp .;
• pork - 500 g;
• carrots - 1 pc .;
• Bulgarian pepper - 1 pc .;
• onions - 1 pc .;
• garlic - 2 cloves;
• water - 0.9 l;
• sunflower oil - 2 tbsp. l .;
• spices - at will.

Carefully parse the method of cooking.

1. Initially, you need to deal with vegetables. Carrots and onions need to be cut into small cubes, and Bulgarian pepper chop into thin strips.
2. Pork is cut into medium sized pieces.
3. Oil is poured into the multicooker, the “Frying” program is activated. When the smoke begins to rise from the oil, the prepared pieces of meat fall into the bowl. Five minutes are enough for roasting.
4. After that, chopped carrots and onions are added to the pork, and after three minutes the Bulgarian pepper drops. This period of launch allows the vegetables to give the meat a uniform flavor.
5. As the onions become transparent, the barley is dipped into the meat and water is poured. The lid closes. The program "Frying" is changed to "Porridge / Pilaf." Cooking time is fixed for one hour.

How to cook pearl barley with meat in a slow cooker, see the following video.