Jeffrey Eisner’s Best Beef Stew

Ingredients

3 pounds chuck roast (nice and marbled), sliced into 1-inch chunks bite-sized chunks or beef stew meat

2 teaspoons garlic salt

2 teaspoons black pepper

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon onion powder

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

1 large yellow onion, diced

2 ribs celery, diced with leafy tops reserved

8 ounces baby Bella mushrooms, sliced (optional)

3 cloves garlic, minced or pressed

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

¼ cup all-purpose flour

1 cup dry red wine (like a pinot noir)

4 cups beef broth (I use low-sodium, and if not using the wine add 5 cups instead)

1 teaspoon dried rosemary

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 tablespoon light or dark brown sugar

2 bay leaves

16-ounce bag baby carrots, halved

1 pound baby red and/or white potatoes, rinsed, skin-on and halved

6-ounce can tomato paste

1 ounce packet Au Jus or beefy onion dip mix (optional)

Instructions

Add the meat to a large bowl and add the garlic salt, black pepper, Italian seasoning, garlic powder and onion powder. Mix by hand until well-coated and set aside.

Add the oil to the Instant Pot, hit and Sauté and Adjust so it's on the more or high setting. After 3 minutes of heating, add the onion, celery and mushrooms (if using) and sauté for 3 minutes until slightly softened. Add garlic and sauté for 1 minute longer.

Add the Worcestershire sauce and scrape up any browned bits and let simmer with the veggies for 1 minute.

Add the seasoned meat and sauté, stirring often for about 3 minutes until the edges are just lightly browned.

Add the flour and stir until everything is coated.

Add the wine, broth, rosemary, thyme and brown sugar. Stir well. Top with the bay leaves, carrots and potatoes, but do not stir them in. Just rest them on top of everything in the pot.

Secure the lid, move the valve to the sealing position, hit Keep Warm/Cancel followed by Manual or Pressure Cook on High Pressure for 20 minutes (NOTE: Due to the volume in the pot, it will take about 15 to 20 minutes for this to come to pressure). When done, allow a 10-minute natural release followed by a quick release.

Add in the tomato paste, leafy celery tops and seasoning packet (if using). Stir well and let rest for 10 minutes. As it cools down a bit, it will thicken into the perfect consistency and allow the flavors to really come together.

Ladle into bowls and serve with some crusty French or garlic bread.

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