Pressure Cooker Beef Stew — The Sunday After the Bonfire

I want to put it on the page because the page is what putting-it-on-the-page is for. I met somebody on Saturday August tenth, 2019, at a bonfire at Mrs. Henderson’s nephew’s farm in Owasso. His name is Dustin Turner. He is twenty years old, an HVAC apprentice with a truck and a steady paycheck. He showed up at the bonfire when he said he would. He drank exactly two beers all night. He called me darlin’ without irony and he opened my car door when he walked me to the truck at the end of the night, and I am eighteen years old, and I had not had anybody open a car door for me before, and I am writing this down in pen.

His phone number is on a small piece of paper in my purse. I am going to text him tomorrow.

And the recipe Sunday was pressure-cooker beef stew because I was thinking about the bonfire all Sunday afternoon and could not bring myself to concentrate on a complicated recipe. Beef stew in the Instant Pot is the kind of recipe you can make on autopilot. Cubed chuck roast, carrots, potatoes, onion, garlic, beef broth, herbs, tomato paste. Pressure cook thirty-five minutes. Done.

The math: chuck roast on the markdown $7.84, vegetables, broth, herbs. Total: about $9.40 for three meals.

Mama said, eating Sunday night, baby, you are smiling. I said, I know, Mama.

The recipe is below. The trick is the Instant Pot for the time.

Pressure Cooker Beef Stew

Prep Time: 20 minutes | Cook Time: 35 minutes | Total Time: 55 minutes | Servings: 6

Ingredients

• 2 lbs beef stew meat, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 cup beef broth
• 1/2 cup dry red wine (or additional beef broth)
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 3 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, cut into 1-inch chunks
• 3 medium carrots, sliced into 1/2-inch rounds
• 2 stalks celery, sliced
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 2 tablespoons cold water
• Fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish

Instructions

1. Season and sear. Pat beef cubes dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Set pressure cooker to sauté mode (or use a skillet over medium-high heat). Add oil and sear beef in batches, 2—3 minutes per side, until browned. Do not crowd the pan. Transfer to a plate.
2. Build the base. Add onion to the pot and cook 3 minutes, stirring, until softened. Add garlic and tomato paste and cook 1 minute more, until fragrant.
3. Deglaze. Pour in the red wine and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot — those bits are flavor. Let it bubble for 1 minute.
4. Add liquids and aromatics. Return beef to the pot. Add broth, Worcestershire sauce, thyme, and bay leaf. Stir to combine.
5. Pressure cook. Secure the lid and set to high pressure for 20 minutes. Allow pressure to release naturally for 10 minutes, then carefully quick-release any remaining pressure.
6. Add vegetables. Remove lid. Add potatoes, carrots, and celery. Secure lid again and cook on high pressure for 8 minutes. Quick-release pressure.
7. Thicken. Remove bay leaf. In a small bowl, whisk together cornstarch and cold water until smooth. Switch to sauté mode and stir in the cornstarch slurry. Cook 2—3 minutes, stirring, until stew thickens to your liking.
8. Taste and serve. Adjust salt and pepper as needed. Ladle into bowls and top with fresh parsley. Serve with crusty bread or biscuits.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 380 | Protein: 34g | Fat: 14g | Carbs: 28g | Fiber: 3g | Sodium: 520mg