InstaPot Beef Stew Recipe

 I got a new recipe for ya!  Well, a version of an existing recipe; I cannot take full credit (hell, I can't even take half credit).  This is what I did with The Salty Marshmallow's Best Ever Instant Pot Beef Stew.  The Salty Marshmallow says explicitly in her recipe that it makes "exactly four servings."  As I'm trying to feed 3 adults for at least two meals (one dinner, one set of leftovers), that wasn't going to work.  So I decided to double the recipe.

But when the Muppet Man came back from the store, he had purchased 2 lbs. of stew meat instead of 3 lbs.  And then I realized that I had only asked for 1 can of tomato sauce instead of two.  But then I also realized that the original recipe said "one 10 oz. can of tomato sauce," and we had one can of 15 ounces.  (dramatic sound cue)  Long story short (too late!), I ended up making 1.5x the original recipe, and it's a good thing, too!  A fully doubled recipe will not fit into a standard 6-quart InstaPot.  I was right at the line for pressure cooking as it was.

So here's what I used/did:

1.5 Recipe of Best Ever Instant Pot Beef Stew

• 2 lbs. beef stew meat
• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• 1.5 tsp of salt
• 1.5 tsp of pepper*
• 1.5 tsp of Italian seasoning
• 3 tbsp. of Worcestershire sauce
• 4-5 cloves of garlic, pressed
• 2 small onions (conversely, you could use 1.5 large onions)
• Approximately 1 pound of carrots, peeled and sliced (let's be honest: I wasn't really measuring the veggies at this point, and for that I apologize)
• Approximately 4 (maybe 5?) golden potatoes, cubed  (again, I'm sorry)
• 2 celery stalks, sliced
• 4 cups beef broth
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 15 oz. can of tomato sauce
• 2 tbsp. cornstarch
• 2 tbsp. cold water

Directions:

1. Put 2 tbsp. of olive into the InstaPot and turn on the Sauté function.
2. When oil is hot, add the garlic and onions and sauté for 1-2 minutes.
3. Then add the 2 lbs. beef stew meat to attempt to sear the beef.  I say "attempt" because the beef won't all be on the bottom of the pot at the same time; you'll need to stir.
• Add the salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning right after you add the beef.
• Continue to sauté/sear (whilst stirring) for approximately 5 minutes.
4. Turn off the Sauté setting.
5. Add 4 cups of beef broth to the pot, and use a wooden spoon (or your preferred implement) to scrap up any browned bits from the pot (basically, deglaze).
6. Add the carrots, potatoes, celery, tomato sauce, and bay leaf to the pot and give it another stir or two for good measure.
7. Close the InstaPot lid use the Pressure Cook setting for 35 minutes.
8. Allow pressure to naturally release for 10 minutes before pressing the Quick Release button.
9. Be careful when you take off the lid!  The liquid will be boiling.
10. Mix together the cornstarch and cold water (make a slurry) then add to the still-hot stew to slightly thicken.
11. Remove the bay leaf at any time.
12. Eat the yumminess.

*My sister claims (and I partially agree) that this was very "peppery."  Next time, I may only use 1 tsp. of ground black pepper, perhaps less.

We didn't have any at the time, but I bet some biscuits would go great with this stew.

Kitty Biscuit Print by Kim Parkurst via Etsy