Hello, and welcome to OutAndBack.Live!  Whether you’re a regular around here or you’re hopping over from The Cajun Couple’s site, thanks for stopping by!

Today I’m participating in a super tasty blog hop where we’re sharing recipes for soup, chili, or stew.  Perfect for this time of year, right?

I’m excited to share my recipe for beef stew.  It’s based on a recipe from my beloved Fannie Farmer Cookbook.  (More on that HERE!)  And did I mention it can be cooked in your Instapot?!?  Let’s get right to the recipe, and then I’ll share a few tips/options.

Michael Ann’s Beef Stew

2 tablespoons coconut oil
1 pound stewing beef
1/4 cup plain flour
1 teaspoon salt
ground pepper to taste
4 cups water
1 teaspoon onion powder
2 bay leaves
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 cups trimmed radishes, halved or sliced into chunks (may use potatoes instead)
2 cups carrots, peeled and chopped

Salt the meat, then sprinkle the flour and pepper over it.  Set Instapot to the Saute function and add the coconut oil.  When the oil is hot, add the meat and stir occasionally until the meat has browned.  Turn the saute function off.  Add the rest of the ingredients, put the lid on, and set the Instapot to cook at high pressure for 20 minutes.  (Be sure to set the valve on the lid to the closed position!)  After the stew finishes cooking, allow the pot to do a natural pressure release (about 15 minutes).

That’s it!  Easy peasy!  I love to serve it over brown rice.  I usually cook the rice in an Instapot for 20 minutes, so both pots are ready at about the same time.  Yes,  I have two electric pressure cookers, and it’s not unusual to see them both in action at the same time!  (For every cup of uncooked rice, I use almost a cup of water.  Add salt!)

Tips:

The biggest tip is that there is LOTS of room for your personal preferences in this recipe!  Don’t like coconut oil?  Use the oil YOU prefer.  Want to use chopped onion instead of onion powder, cool!

If the meat cubes are too big, cut them in half before you add the flour.

I use radishes instead of potatoes sometimes just to pull back the carbs a bit.  I LOVE potatoes, but I’ll opt for radishes and then enjoy the stew over brown rice, a healthier carb, instead.

Want to use beef broth instead of water?  Go for it!  Sometimes I add a couple of teaspoons of Better than Bouillon beef base to amp the flavor up a bit.

Don’t be scared to use the allspice!  It’s the secret ingredient to this whole thing!

Do you like a thicker stew?  When the stew is done, (in a small bowl) mix up a slurry of corn starch and water, pour it into the stew, turn the Saute function back on, and stir while it thickens.  (Start with 2 teaspoons of cold water and 1 teaspoon of corn starch.  Then make more slurry if you need it.)

The amount of beef and chopped veggies don’t have to be exact.  The amounts I listed here are just a starting point for you.  I tend to eyeball it, but I remember how frustrated I got when I was first married, trying to get a handle on cooking whole meals, and recipes from relatives would say “add potatoes.”  Okay?  How many potatoes?!?  HELP!  So today when I made this stew, I measured as I went so you’d have a starting point!

Don’t have an electric pressure cooker?  No problem!  Follow the recipe through browning the meat.  Then add everything else EXCEPT the veggies.  Bring the stew tp a boil,  cover it with a lid, and simmer either on the stove or in the oven (275 degrees) for at least 2 hours, but longer is better.  When the meat is good and tender, add the veggies and simmer for about 20 more minutes.

You guys, this is one of my all-time favorite recipes!  I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

Come back tomorrow because I’ll be sharing a new-to-me chili that I’m cooking on repeat these days.  You won’t believe the twist!  Seriously!  Everybody I share it with is stunned!  Go ahead and subscribe to my blog so you won’t miss it!

For NOW though, hop on over to Bojana’s blog to see what recipe SHE is sharing!

And if YOU have a fun soup, chili, or stew recipe to share, please link it up below!  The more good recipes, the merrier!

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