Irish Beef Stew

Irish beef stew is one of the greatest comfort foods on the planet and it’s even quicker and easier to make in your pressure cooker! Read on for tips on how to get the best flavour for your Irish beef stew in your Instant Pot.

Irish Beef Stew

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 50 minutes

Total Time: 60 minutes

Servings: 8

Ingredients

2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp butter
150 g (5 oz) bacon lardons
150 g (5 oz) finely chopped shallots
1.2 kg (2 1/2 lbs) braising steak cubed
1 tsp salt + 1/2 tsp ground pepper
200 g (7 oz) button mushrooms, sliced
200 g (7 oz) wild mushrooms, sliced
2 carrots peeled and sliced
2 tbsp concentrated tomato paste
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp soy sauce
Bouquet garni see notes
320 ml (1 1/3 cups) Guinness
1 tbsp cornflour (cornstarch) or arrowroot
Handful chopped fresh parsley to garnish

Instructions

Season the beef with the salt and pepper and set aside.
Turn the pressure cooker on and select ‘sauté’ function.
Heat the oil and butter and add the bacon. Cook for a couple of minutes until the bacon is sizzling.
Add the beef, in batches, and cook until browned on all sides. This might be easier done in a casserole or skillet on your stovetop.
Add the chopped shallots and cook for a couple of minutes.
Stir in the mushrooms and carrots.
Add the tomato paste, Worcestershire and soy sauce.
Pour in the Guinness, add the bouquet garni and give everything a good stir.
Cover, set vent to sealing and cook for 35 minutes at high pressure.
Let the pressure release naturally for 20 minutes then manually release.
Stir the cornflour (cornstarch) or arrowroot with 1 tbsp cold water to make a slurry.
Select the ‘sauté’ function again and stir in the slurry. Let the stew bubble away for about 5 minutes, until thickened.
Discard your herb bundle, taste and adjust the seasoning. Serve over mashed potatoes and garnish with chopped parsley.

Notes

I used a 6L/Q Instant Pot Duo for this recipe.
To make the bouquet garni, tie up a bundle of parsley, thyme, rosemary and bay leaves using a celery stalk or a bit of leek as your anchor. Discard this before serving.
To make the stew on the stovetop – use 1 litre (1 quart) of Guinness or half Guinness and half chicken broth. Preheat the oven to 160°C (325°F). Brown the bacon in a large casserole dish. Add the beef and cook until seared on all sides. Pour a little Guinness to deglaze the pan and scrape any browned bits. Transfer the beef and bacon into a bowl. Add a little more olive oil to the pan and cook the shallots, mushrooms and carrots for a 5 minutes. Return the beef to the casserole and stir in the tomato paste, Worcestershire and soy sauce. Pour in the Guinness, add the bouquet garni and give everything a good stir. Cover and cook in the oven for 2 hours.