Instant Pot Boeuf Bourguignon
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Julia Child once said, “Find something you are passionate about and keep tremendously interested in it”. Well, there are two things that I am passionate about right now: one is this blog, and the other is Instant Pot Boeuf Bourguignon.
Inspired by Julia Child’s timeless classic from Mastering the Art of French Cooking, this flavourful stew is perfect for the winter months. It combines tender beef, salty bacon, hearty veggies, and a rich sauce made from red wine and beef stock. Even better, thanks to the Instant Pot, you will be enjoying it in a third of the time of Julia’s original recipe. I hope that you are as passionate about this Instant Pot Boeuf Bourguignon as I am.
Sauté and Sear
Cut the bacon into thin strips crosswise (called lardons in French cooking). Set the Instant Pot to the Saute function, and turn up to high. Heat 2 tsp of oil, and add the bacon. Saute until the fat renders, and the bacon begins to lightly brown and crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon.
Pat the stewing beef dry, and place in a resealable bag. Add the flour to the bag, and season with salt and pepper. Shake to coat.
Sear the beef in the bacon fat (if the pot appears too dry, add extra olive oil as necessary). Turn cubes to ensure they sear on all sides. If you are in a hurry, you can put all the beef in at once, but it will brown better spaced out in batches.
Remove the beef from the pot, and add the carrots, onion and garlic. Briefly saute until the onions start to become translucent.
Deglaze and Cook
Add in the tomato paste, and then pour in the red wine to deglaze the pot, making sure to get any brown bits off the bottom. Simmer for a few minutes to cook off some of the alcohol.
Return the beef and bacon to the pot. Add the beef stock, potatoes, and spices, stirring to combine everything. Put on the lid, turn the knob to Sealing, and set to High Pressure for 40 minutes.
Finishing the Stew
When the time is up, allow to naturally pressure release for ten minutes before venting. Remove the lid, and turn the Saute function back on. Simmer until sauce thickens. If after five to ten minutes the sauce has still not thickened enough, transfer 1/4 cup of the liquid to a small bowl. Add 1/2 tbsp of flour and mix to make a paste. Stir the paste back into the pot, and continue simmering until thickened. Turn off the pot.
Serve the Instant Pot Boeuf Bourguignon garnished with freshly chopped parsley, and, if desired, pair with a glass of red wine.
In the eternal words of Julia Child – Bon Appetit!
Instant Pot Boeuf Bourguignon
Equipment
- Instant Pot
Ingredients
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 1-1 1/2 lbs stewing beef 1 inch cubes
- 1 1/2 tbsp flour divided
- salt and pepper to taste
- 3-4 slices bacon thinly sliced crosswise
- 1 cup onion diced
- 2 carrots chopped
- 2 cups mini potatoes
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 cup red wine (Beaujolais, Burgandy, etc)
- 1 cup beef stock
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
- 1 bay leaf
For Serving
- Fresh parsley chopped
Instructions
- Turn the Instant Pot to the Saute function, and turn up to High
- Heat the olive oil, and add the bacon. Saute until lightly browned and crispy. Remove with a slotted spoon and transfer to a bowl.
- Pat beef dry and place in resealable bag. Shake with 1 Tbsp of the flour and salt and pepper (to taste) to lightly coat.
- Sear in the Instant Pot, in batches if possible to achieve better browning. Turn cubes while cooking to ensure all sides are seared. Remove from pot and reserve in bowl with the bacon.
- Add the onions, garlic, ,and carrots to the pot. Saute until onions start to become translucent. Add tomato paste and cook for 30 seconds.
- Add red wine to deglaze the pot, scraping the bottom to get any brown bits. Simmer for 5 minutes to cook off some of the alcohol.
- Add the beef, bacon, potatoes, beef stock, and spices to the pot. Stir to mix well.
- Put on the lid, turn the knob to sealing, and set to High Pressure for 40 minutes.
- When time is up, allow to naturally pressure release for 10 minutes before venting. Remove the lid and turn the Saute function back on
- Simmer until the sauce thickens. If after 5-10 minutes it has still not thickened, transfer 1/4 cup of the liquid to a bowl. Add 1/2 tbsp of flour, and stir to form a paste. Return the paste back to the pot and simmer until thickened.
- Serve garnished with freshly chopped parsley.
Looking for more fall/winter comfort food? Check out my Butternut Squash Soup recipe.