One-Pan Farro Beef Skillet

Place the farro in a mesh strainer and rinse thoroughly under cold running water to wash off any dust or residual starch. Set aside.

Heat the olive oil in a skillet over high heat, then add the ground beef and 1 tsp of the salt.

Break the beef up into small crumbles as it browns.

Add the sliced mushrooms to the pan and stir them into the meat.

Continue to sauté over high heat until the liquid from the mushrooms evaporates and both the beef and mushrooms are nicely browned, 5–8 minutes.

Reduce the heat to medium-high, then add the diced celery, diced onion, and the remaining 1 tsp of salt.

Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions soften and start to turn translucent, 2–3 minutes.

Add the black pepper, cumin, smoked paprika, dried oregano, and garlic powder to the skillet, stirring to coat the meat and vegetables.

Sauté for another 1–2 minutes to bloom the spices.

Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 1–2 minutes to lighten its acidity and deepen its color.

Add the rinsed farro to the skillet and stir to coat it in the rendered fat and oil.

Pour in the beef broth and bring the skillet to a boil over high heat, scraping up any browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pan.

Once boiling, cover the skillet with a lid and reduce the heat to medium-low.

Simmer covered until the farro is tender yet pleasantly toothsome, 10–12 minutes for quick-cooking farro (or up to 30–40 minutes if using whole or semi-pearled farro).

Then 10 min of waiting

Uncover, check for doneness, then cover again and turn off the heat; let the pan rest covered for 7 minutes to finish cooking and absorb the remaining liquid.

Then 7 min of waiting

Uncover the skillet and stir in most of the snipped chives and the shredded cheddar cheese until melted and incorporated into a creamy, juicy sauce.

Taste and adjust seasoning with additional salt or pepper if needed.

Sprinkle the remaining chives over the top to garnish before serving.