Soooo Good Instant Pot Beef Stew

I  LOVE beef stew!  Especially on cold, gray winter days!  

It's warm.  It's nourishing.  It's easy to make.  Plus, I can get an easy lunch the next day 'cuz there are always a little leftovers to reheat!  A total win!

And this recipe is Sooooo good!  (If I do say so myself! LOL!)  

Ingredients:

• 3 lbs beef chuck roast (grass-fed and organic if able!) cut into 1.5-2 inch cubes
• Kosher Salt
• 1 T ghee or avocado oil
• 2 medium onions, chopped
• 1 lb mushrooms, cleaned, stemmed and quartered
• 3 stalks celery, diced
• 3 T tomato paste
• 6 garlic cloves, peeled and diced (or smashed!)
• 1.5-2 Cups beef bone broth (you could also use chicken bone broth!)
• 2 T Balsamic Vinegar
• 1 T Worcestershire Sauce (optional)
• 1-2 T Coconut aminos (or gluten free tamari if you're ok with soy)
• 1 tsp Fish Sauce (I use Red Boat)
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme (or 1 tsp dried thyme)
• 1 bay leaf
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 3-4 large carrots, peeled and then chopped into large chunks

• 1T Cassava Flour (optional...for thickening)

Directions:

1. In a big ol' bowl, toss cubed beef with a little Kosher salt.  Let it sit.
2. Press "Saute" on your Instant Pot and when the metal insert is hot, add the avocado oil or ghee. Wait for the fat to melt and then add onions, mushrooms, celery and a sprinkle of salt.  Saute until veggies are soft about 4-5 mins.
3. Stir in the tomato paste and garlic and cook for about 30 seconds.
4. Add in salted beef cubes, bone broth, balsamic vinegar, Worcestershire sauce (optional), coconut aminos, fish sauce, thyme, bay leaf, ground black pepper, and chopped carrots.  Give a good stir and then press the "Keep Warm/Cancel" button on your Instant Pot.
5. Put the lid on and lock it and be sure your steam valve is closed.  Cook for 35 mins on high pressure. (The "Stew/Meat" button will typically do this for you, so you can just press that if you like!)
6. When the cooking time is finished your Instant Pot will automatically go into "Keep Warm" mode.  Let the pressure release naturally in this mode for 15-20 mins.  When you're ready to eat, carefully move the steam valve to "Vent" and let the last bits of steam out.
7. Remove the Instant Pot top, fish out your bay leaf and thyme sprigs and eat the stew as is OR if you like thicker stew, take out a bit of the liquid put it in a small bowl, add your cassava flour and make a slurry, add the slurry back in and give the whole thing a good stir.  (See tips below if you like thick stew, but don't want to use flour.)
8. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Tips and Tricks:

• For making a thicker stew sans flour of any kind, add peeled and chopped chunks of potatoes and extra carrots to your recipe.  When stew is done, take out some potatoes and carrots and mash or blend them into a paste and then stir them back in to make a thicker broth.  
• If you like peas in your stew, after stew is cooked and the Instant Pot cover is removed, press the saute button, add your peas and cook until they're done!  (Just know, the extra cooking time may make your carrots mushy!)  
• Alternate method so your carrots don't get mushy?  Cook your peas separately via microwave or stovetop and add them in after your stew is completely done!  More dishes to wash, but less mushy carrots!  :)
• You can also add other hearty veggies to your stew--parsnip, potatoes, cut string beans, celeriac, turnip, etc. during the regular cooking process.  
• For a little boost of greens, you can add chopped spinach in after the stew is completely cooked and just cook on saute for a little bit to soften your greens!

Have fun with it, friends!  Let me know how it goes!

HUGS!

Dorothy