In a very large heavy bottomed dutch oven pan heat up the olive oil over high heat
In a bowl with the beef add the all purpose flour, onion powder, and a good amount of salt and pepper. Stir everything so that all of the chunks are coated
Working in two batches add the beef and brown on all sides. You don’t want to cook the beef, just brown it
Add the browned beef to a plate and set aside. Turn your heat down to medium
Add the chopped onion and let it saute for about 5 minutes, scraping up the browned bits at the bottom
Add the chopped carrots and garlic to the pan and cook another 3 minutes
To the pan add the beef broth, tomatoes, potatoes, red pepper flakes, rosemary, thyme, and browned beef chunks
Let it simmer for 2 hours, stirring often
Add the barley and cook another 20-30 minutes until the barley is cooked through
Once cooked, discard the rosemary and thyme stems, season with salt and pepper to taste, and serve! That’s it. The perfect hearty stew for all Winter long.