Hungarian Beef Stew
Browning meat to a rich, dark color is the secret to developing flavor in pot roasts and stews. Dont be tempted to brown all the beef at once, or you will end up stewing the meat in its own juice. It needs some room in the pot for evaporation and browning. From Time Inc's Instant Pot All-Time Best Recipes
Browning meat to a rich, dark color is the secret to developing flavor in pot roasts and stews. Dont be tempted to brown all the beef at once, or you will end up stewing the meat in its own juice. It needs some room in the pot for evaporation and browning. From Time Inc's Instant Pot All-Time Best Recipes
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon caraway seeds
- 1 cup dry red wine
- 3 cloves garlic (minced)
- 3/4 teaspoon table salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper (freshly ground)
- 1 3/4 cups water
- 1 1/2 pounds lean chuck roast (boneless, trimmed and cut into
- 2 medium onions (chopped)
- 1 1/2 cups beef stock (unsalted)
- 1 pound fingerling potatoes (cut into 1-inch chunks)
- 3 carrots (coarsely chopped)
- 2 red bell peppers (sliced)
- Carbohydrate 3.58486500201629 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Fat 1.29900166743582 g
- Fiber 0.496262518090371 g
- Protein 0.457270833758212 g
- Saturated Fat 0.181942916779739 g
- Serving Size 1 1 serving (305g)
- Sodium 328.485291683921 mg
- Sugar 3.08860248392592 g
- Trans Fat 0.0555747083776657 g
- Calories 56 calories
Step-by-step
- Sprinkle beef with 1/2 teaspoon of the salt and 1/4 teaspoon of the pepper.
- Remove the lid from a 6-quart Instant Pot. Press Sauté. When the word “Hot†appears, swirl in oil.
- Add one-third of beef to inner pot; cook 5 minutes or until golden brown on both sides. Transfer to a plate with a slotted spoon. Repeat procedure with remaining beef in 2 additional batches.
- Add onions; cook, stirring constantly, 5 minutes or until softened. Add paprika, caraway seeds, and garlic; cook 1 minute, stirring. Add wine; cook 2 minutes, stirring occasionally and scraping brown bits from bottom of pot. Add 1 1/2 cups of the water, remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper, stock, and beef, with accumulated juices, to the pot.
- Close and lock the lid of the Instant Pot. Turn the steam release handle to “Sealing†position. Cook at High Pressure 25 minutes. Allow a 10-minute Natural Pressure Release. Turn steam release handle to “Venting†to release remaining pressure.
- Turn cooker off, and remove lid. Add potatoes, carrots, peppers. Close and lock the lid of the Instant Pot. Turn the steam release handle to “Sealing†position. Cook at High Pressure 5 minutes. Open the cooker using Quick Pressure Release. Turn cooker off.
- Gradually add the remaining 1/4 cup water to the flour, stirring until smooth; add to stew, stirring constantly. Press Sauté, and select “Less†mode. Cook, stirring frequently, 5 minutes or until stew boils and thickens slightly.
- Serve and enjoy!
Paprika and the Fond Foundation
Sweet Hungarian paprika carries fat-soluble flavor compounds that release into oil rather than water. Bloom the ground spice alongside crushed caraway seeds in hot rendered fat for precisely sixty seconds before introducing liquids. Toasting releases trapped aromatics directly into the cooking medium. Scrape every browned residue from the metal bottom during the wine reduction stage to prevent burn warnings on digital pressure displays.Batch Browning Mechanics
Crowding a six-quart electric insert causes meat juices to pool rapidly, shifting the cooking process from dry-heat browning to boiling. Divide boneless chuck roast into three distinct portions to maintain surface contact with the heated metal base. Sear each batch for five minutes without moving the pieces until a deep mahogany crust forms naturally. Dry the exterior surfaces thoroughly with paper towels beforehand to accelerate Maillard reactions.Pressure Sequencing and Slurries
Cooking dense root vegetables alongside lean beef under uniform pressure leads to mushy potatoes. Stagger the cooking times by introducing fingerling chunks and carrots only after the meat finishes its initial twenty-five-minute high-pressure cycle followed by a ten-minute natural release. Finish the sauce by whisking cold water into all-purpose flour at a one-to-one ratio before stirring it into the simmering liquid. Raw starch added directly to hot broth will clump instantly.
