I was a little late for St. Patrick's Day but the Irish Stew with Stout I made last night in the Instant Pot was a hit anyway. The recipe is from the One Pot cookbook and although uses a stovetop pressure cooker I adapted it to the IP by using the Meat/Stew smart button and then reducing the cook time by ten minutes. I have enough experience and reference sources now that I'm feeling confident in making small changes to a recipe.
The stew was pretty standard compared to my usual crockpot version other than replacing red wine with a cup of stout beer. I also added some other vegetables - celery, carrot, and mushrooms - to increase the health benefits, add colour and flavour, and stretch the meal even further. We also love those ingredients in our stew!
A can of tomato paste was something I don't usually use but it was good addition, making the stew more tomato-y (obviously), and delicious. After sautéing the meat and veggies first, I added the beer, some beef broth, and then the paste. I cooked the stew under high pressure for twenty minutes and did a ten minute natural release (wait ten minutes, then release pressure manually). I prefer a thick stew broth (great for soaking up with bread, biscuits, or polenta!) so after releasing the pressure I removed the lid, added frozen peas, and then a couple of tablespoons of cornstarch dissolved in cold water. I used the sauté feature to bring it to a boil and it thickened up nicely.
Although it was different than my traditional beef stew, hubby and I loved it! It's so quick to make and I really liked the beer substitution. The flavour was wonderful and I will be making this version again soon. Of course, you can make this recipe in a slow cooker or in a Dutch oven just as easily - it will just need a bit more simmering time.
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