Cooking Steps

• Season beef with salt and pepper.
• In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat oil over high heat until lightly smoking.
• Working in batches if necessary, add beef and cook, turning occasionally, until well browned on all sides, about 5 minutes per side.
• Transfer beef to a large platter.
• Add carrots, onion, celery, and garlic to pot and cook, stirring and scraping up any browned bits from the bottom, until lightly browned, about 6 minutes.
• Scrape vegetables into a heatproof bowl and set aside.
• Add stock to pot, return to heat, and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of pot.
• Meanwhile, cut beef into chunks and add to pot, along with reserved bones, if using, and herb sachet.
• Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to maintain a low simmer and cook until beef is tender, 1 to 2 hours; skim any foam that rises to the top.
• Discard bones and herb sachet.
• Add barley, reserved vegetables, and fish sauce, if using, and simmer until barley and vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes.
• Season with salt and pepper. If soup is too dry, top up with water to achieve desired consistency.
• Serve, garnishing with parsley.