Old Fashioned Beef Stew

Description

The original recipe comes from my pressured cook cookbook, however i've made modifications. It can be prepared in a pressure cooker, crock pot or on the stove top. The key is to use good quality beef and cook until it is 'meltingly' tender. Also don't take any shortcuts. . . Follow the directions and brown the meat properly, it really does intensify the flavor. If you are planning to freeze a portion of this stew, cook only the amount of potatoes you need for immediate use, they don't freeze well. Passive work time is calculated using a pressure cooker. Additional time needed for crock pot or stove top preparation. Update: recently made in the crock-pot and instead of putting the potatoes and carrots in with the meat, i tossed them with about a tablespoon of olive oil and sprinkled with thyme and wrapped in aluminum foil; placed on top of the meat in the crock-pot. About an hour before serving, stirred the veggies into the stew.

Ingredients

• Vegetable Oil
• Beef
• Flour
• Salt
• Fresh Ground Pepper
• Garlic Cloves
• Onion
• Tomato Paste
• Dry Red Wine
• Worcestershire Sauce
• Bay Leaves
• Dried Thyme Leaves
• Potatoes
• Carrots
• Celery

Instructions

1. To flour mix in salt and pepper
2. Dredge beef cubes in flour mixture
3. In large pan add oil and brown beef
4. Remove beef to pressure cooker
5. Add additional oil if required and saute onions for 1 minute
6. Stir in tomato paste and broth to deglaze pan
7. Add the wine and cook another 30 seconds
8. Add worcestershire sauce, bay leaves and pour over beef
9. Pressure cooker:
10. Lock the lid in place
11. Over high heat, bring to high pressure
12. Reduce heat just enough to maintain high pressure and cook for 30 minutes
13. Allow the pressure to come down naturally
14. Remove the lid and test beef, if not sufficiently tender, return to high pressure for an additional 5 minutes
15. Again, let the pressure come down naturally
16. Stir in garlic, thyme, potatoes, celery and place carrots on the top
17. Lock the lid in place
18. Over high heat, bring to high pressure
19. Reduce the heat just enough to maintain high pressure and cook for 5 minutes
20. Quick-release the pressure
21. If vegetables are not sufficiently tender, set the lid in place and allow them to steam in the residual heat, another minute or two
22. If you would like a thicker gravy, mash a few pieces of potato against the side of the cooker and stir into the stew
23. Crock pot:
24. Place beef, liquids and remaining ingredients in the crock pot
25. Cover and cook on low 12 hours or on high 5 to 6 hours or until tender
26. Serve with fresh biscuits!