Dice the onion and sauté it in butter. Dice the garlic, celery and carrot and lightly sauté them as well. Rinse the barley with cold water and add it to the pot with the vegetables. Pour in the meat broth or water and add the smoked meat and bacon. Stir in the bay leaf.
Cooking time is about 1 hour. Add the peeled and diced potato 10 minutes before the end of cooking. Season with salt and pepper and refine with chives.