beef & pork, pressure cooker, soups, stews & chilies, the daniel plan,In the schizophrenic days of spring where it is sunny and warm one day, drizzly and damp the next, what’s a cook to do? Make a classic, hearty dish that warms the tummy and the soul. Filled with chunks of top sirloin, carrots, tomatoes and herbs, this vegetable beef stew is a favorite with my family and clients.In stead of hours, this vegetable beef stew takes about 30 minutes using a pressure cooker so you can get dinner on the table fast. Make this stew on the weekend an enjoy on busy weekday nights. It holds for 3-4 days in the refrigerator, or you can freeze it. If you don’t have a pressure cooker, make it the traditional way. Don’t cook the carrots separately. Add the carrots and tomatoes to the pot, cover and simmer on low heat until the beef is done and the vegetables are tender. It will just take longer.Beef stew recipes generally use stew meat which is a cubed mix of tougher cuts.  A more tender option is to buy top sirloin.

I buy a 2 pound piece and trim away any fat or tendons. After trimming I have 1 1/2 pounds to cook with, which will serve 4, and extra freezes well.Until I became a hawk at understanding labels and ingredients, I used Better Than Bullion. Bullion pastes have unhealthy ingredients like caramel coloring, crazy high sodium, sugar, molasses (sugar), evaporated cane juice (sugar), honey (sugar), beef “flavor” (who knows what that really is), potato flour (in broth?), and preservatives. best wine bar harvard squareA lot of stuff you don’t want to eat. lg smart wine gsmarenaIf you have any of these products, throw them out. best wine bar miamiUse real beef broth or beef bone broth, which is widely available these days. what is the best red wine for heart disease

Most of the boxed stuff is pretty bad too. Higher quality bone broths do cost more, but they taste better and are better for you. Look for them in the frozen department. If the label says “all natural” don’t believe it. A product I have relied on for years is Stock Options. what is considered the best red wineFind it in the freezer section of better markets. the best red wine in canadaBecause that is how you make real homemade broth. Never with salt, so that you control the amount of sodium that goes into your final dish. It’s especially important if you plan to reduce the broth by half for bigger flavor. Reducing a broth with high sodium really increases the sodium in the final dish.A pressure cooker is a worthwhile addition to your kitchen. When not being used as a pressure cooker, it works like any other pot.

When you feel the need for speed, the lid can be locked on and the time it takes to cook soups, stews, rice, beans and many other dishes is greatly reduced. In a time-starved cooking schedule, a pressure cooker can be your best friend.Trim your meat into large chunks, about 1 ¼”. Trim off any extra fat, brown the meat and set it aside. Cook the onion, celery and garlic until soft. Add red wine and reduce. Add herbs, spices, broth and browned beef. Lock the lid on and bring to high pressure. Cook for 15 minutes, then remove from the heat and allow the pressure to drop naturally. This will take just a few minutes. When the carrots are cooked with the meat they get too soft. Cook them in boiling salted water for 3-4 minutes while the stew is cooking. Drain and add the carrots after the stew is done. For the tomatoes, they disintegrate in the pressure cooker, so I add them with the carrots at the end. They retain more of their shape and warm quickly when being added to the piping hot stew.

Serve in a bowl by itself (paleo) or over whole wheat pasta, brown rice noodles or polenta for gluten free. Finish with a little fresh parsley for a nice shot of green color and fresh flavor.  Leftovers will keep in the fridge for 3 days or can be frozen.I use Fagor pressure cookers. You will need an 8 quart model.Note – This recipe is updated from my original post in April of 2012. It’s still gray and raining outside and it’s June! In California we call it June Gloom. Still a good time for a hearty flavor-filled stew. See my new notes on beef broth and updates to the recipe.Beef and Vegetable Stew with RosemaryUsing a pressure cooker greatly reduces the time it takes to get a satisfying beef and vegetable stew on the dinner table. Top sirloin is my choice for meat, with lots of vegetables and herbs for great flavor. Serve over whole wheat pasta, gluten-free brown rice noodles, polenta or alone. 4 2 1 1 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 Equipment For a rich and deeply flavored beef broth, reduce no-sodium broth by half.

Start with 1 cup and reduce by half to 1/2 cup which concentrates the flavor. If you don't have a pressure cooker, make it the traditional way with just a few small edits to the directions. Don't cook the carrots separately. A note about trimming the meat - because you need to trim fat and tendon, buy two pounds which will yield about 1 1/2 pounds of trimmed meat to cube and cook for the stew. 1 tbsp vegetable oil 1kg braising steak, cut into 4cm cubes 2 onions, finely chopped 2 celery sticks, finely chopped 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped 2 large carrots, cut into 2cm cubes 2 tbsp plain flour 1 tbsp tomato purée 250ml dry red wine 500ml beef stock, hot 400g can chopped tomatoes 2 tbsp chopped fresh oregano or parsley leaves In a large casserole, heat half the oil and half the butter over a high heat. When hot, brown the beef in 3 batches for 5 minutes per batch or until browned all over. Remove to a bowl using a slotted spoon.

Melt the rest of the butter in the remaining oil in the casserole over a low heat. Add the onions, celery, garlic and carrots. Cook, stirring, for 5 minutes, until the onions have softened. Add the flour and tomato purée. Stir and cook for a further minute. Increase the heat and return the beef and its resting juices to the casserole with the wine and cook for 2 minutes or until you have a thickened sauce. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Add the stock and the chopped tomatoes. Stir and season well. Cover and simmer for 1½–1¾ hours, removing the lid for the last 30-45 minutes and stirring occasionally, until the beef is tender and the sauce is thick. Stir in the herbs, adjust the seasoning and serve with mashed potato. You can vary the flavourings in this casserole by replacing the red wine with a rich, tasty ale such as Guinness or stout. Look out for chocolate stout, which creates the most delicious sauce when combined with beef. Alternatively, you could try lamb leg steaks, cut into cubes, instead of the beef, and vary the vegetables – pumpkin is great if you’re using lamb.