Red Wine Beef Stew

Serves: 5–6 Beef: 2.5 lb thick-cut, boneless USDA Choice chuck short ribs Equipment: 10-cup Instant Pot

Shopping List

Beef

• 2.5 lb boneless chuck beef short ribs
• Fine sea salt (~1 tsp)
• Freshly ground black pepper (~1½ tsp)

Base

• 4 slices bacon
• 1 medium/large yellow onion
• 2 celery stalks
• 2–3 carrots
• 5 garlic cloves
• 2 tbsp Cento double-concentrated tomato paste

Braising Liquid

• ¾ cup Cabernet Sauvignon
• 1½ cups Swanson beef broth
• 1 tsp Better Than Bouillon Roasted Beef Base
• 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 4–5 fresh thyme sprigs
• 1 bay leaf
• 6–10 Italian parsley stems

Added Later

• 3 Idaho potatoes
• ~12 oz Baby Bella mushrooms
• 2 tbsp butter (total)
• 1 tbsp cornstarch
• ~¼ cup chopped Italian flat-leaf parsley

For Serving

• French baguette
• Olive oil
• Optional: fresh garlic clove (for rubbing on toasted bread)

Optional

• Red wine vinegar (only if needed to balance richness at the end)

Method

1. Prepare the Beef

• Cut the beef into roughly 2½–3-inch chunks and pat completely dry.
• Season with approximately 1 tsp salt and 1½ tsp black pepper.

2. Prep the Vegetables

• Dice 1 medium/large yellow onion.
• Dice 2 celery stalks.
• Cut 2–3 carrots into ~¾-inch pieces.
• Mince 5 garlic cloves.
• Halve Baby Bella mushrooms if they are small; quarter them if they are larger, so the pieces are bite-sized and even.
• Chop ~¼ cup Italian flat-leaf parsley for the finish.

3. Sauté and Set Aside the Mushrooms

• At any convenient point before the final combine step, heat a large skillet over medium-high/high heat.
• Add 1 tbsp oil.
• Add approximately 12 oz Baby Bella mushrooms, halved if small and quartered if larger. Do not salt them initially.
• Cook until their moisture evaporates and they develop deep golden-brown edges.
• Then add 1 tbsp butter, ~1 minced garlic clove, a little black pepper, and a very small pinch of salt.
• Cook another 60–90 seconds.
• Transfer the mushrooms to a bowl and set aside until the end.

4. Cook the Bacon

• Set the Instant Pot to Sauté on High.
• Cut the bacon into small pieces and cook for about 4–6 minutes until it renders its fat and becomes golden.
• Remove the bacon but leave the rendered fat in the pot.
• If there isn't enough fat to coat the bottom, add about 1 tbsp neutral oil.

5. Brown the Beef

• Brown the beef in batches so the pieces aren't crowded.
• Sear each side for approximately 2–4 minutes until deeply browned.
• Remove all the beef and set aside.
• IMPORTANT: Leave the dark brown fond stuck to the bottom of the pot. That is concentrated flavor.

6. Sauté the Vegetables

• Add 1 diced medium/large yellow onion and 2 diced celery stalks. Cook about 4–5 minutes.
• Add 2–3 carrots cut into ~¾-inch pieces and cook another ~2 minutes.
• Add 5 minced garlic cloves and cook for about 45–60 seconds.

7. Cook the Tomato Paste

• Add 2 tbsp Cento double-concentrated tomato paste.
• Cook for 2–3 minutes, stirring frequently.
• The color should become a deep brick red and smell sweet and roasted.

8. Add the Wine

• Add ¾ cup Cabernet Sauvignon.
• Immediately scrape the entire bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon to release all the browned fond.
• Boil vigorously for about 5–7 minutes, reducing the wine substantially—roughly by half.

9. Build the Braising Liquid

• Add:
• 1½ cups beef broth
• 1 tsp Better Than Bouillon Roasted Beef Base
• 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 4–5 fresh thyme sprigs
• 1 bay leaf
• 6–10 Italian parsley stems
• Scrape the bottom again and make absolutely sure nothing is stuck.
• Return the browned beef to the pot, along with any accumulated juices from the bowl.
• It's fine if the tops of the beef are sticking slightly above the liquid.

10. Pressure Cook the Beef

• Cancel Sauté.
• Lock the Instant Pot lid and set the valve to Sealing.
• Select Manual/Pressure Cook: HIGH PRESSURE 40 MINUTES
• When finished, allow a NATURAL RELEASE for 20 minutes.
• Then carefully release the remaining pressure.

11. Remove the Beef

• Remove the beef carefully and set aside.
• Remove the thyme stems, bay leaf, and parsley stems.
• The beef should now be extremely tender and easily separate with a fork.

12. Prep and Cook the Potatoes

• Peel the 3 Idaho potatoes just before you cook them so they don't oxidize.
• Cut them into approximately 1½-inch chunks.
• Add the cut potatoes into the existing stew liquid and vegetables.
• Lock the lid and set the valve to Sealing.
• Manual/Pressure Cook: HIGH PRESSURE 3 MINUTES
• When finished, perform an immediate QUICK RELEASE.
• Open carefully. Handle the potatoes gently so they don't break apart.

13. Combine Everything

• Return the beef to the Instant Pot.
• Add the reserved mushrooms. Gently combine with the potatoes and vegetables.
• Add approximately ¼ cup chopped Italian flat-leaf parsley.
• Reserve a little parsley for garnish.

14. Reduce and Thicken

• Set the Instant Pot to Sauté on Normal, with the lid OFF.
• Simmer gently for approximately 5–10 minutes to concentrate the sauce.
• Make a slurry: 1 tbsp cornstarch + 2 tbsp cold water, mixed until completely smooth.
• Add HALF of the slurry first. Stir gently for 30–60 seconds.
• If the sauce isn't thick enough, gradually add more slurry.
• The goal is a rich gravy that coats the beef and potatoes—not a thick paste.

15. Final Finish

• Turn off the Instant Pot.
• Add 1 tbsp butter and gently stir it into the sauce.
• Taste. Do NOT automatically add more salt — the bacon, beef broth, and Better Than Bouillon already contain significant salt.
• If the stew tastes balanced, stop.
• If the Cabernet flavor is still slightly too prominent, simmer uncovered for another 5–10 minutes.
• Red-wine vinegar is OPTIONAL and should only be used if the finished stew tastes very rich/heavy or slightly flat. If needed, start with just ¼ tsp, taste, and stop if it improves the balance. If the stew already tastes great, don't add vinegar.

16. Toast the Baguette

• Preheat oven to 400°F / 205°C.
• Slice the baguette into ¾–1-inch slices.
• Lightly brush with olive oil.
• Bake for about 5–7 minutes. Flip and bake another 2–3 minutes.
• The outside should be crisp while the inside remains slightly soft.
• Optional: Rub the toasted bread lightly with a cut fresh garlic clove.

Key Techniques

• Pat the beef completely dry before browning.
• Brown the beef deeply and in batches. This is one of the biggest flavor builders.
• Don't clean the dark fond from the pot—it becomes the foundation of the sauce.
• Cook the tomato paste until it turns deep brick red.
• Reduce the Cabernet before adding the broth.
• Add potatoes later so they remain intact.
• Brown the mushrooms separately rather than pressure-cooking them.
• Add salt cautiously at the end because the bacon, broth, and bouillon are already salty.
• Don't add vinegar unless the finished stew actually needs it.
• Let the finished stew rest for 5–10 minutes before serving.

Serving

Ladle the beef, potatoes, carrots, and mushrooms into bowls. Spoon plenty of the rich red-wine gravy over the top. Finish with fresh Italian parsley. Serve immediately with the crisp toasted baguette for dipping into the gravy.