Hearty Beef Stew (PCP)

• 3 pounds boneless beef short ribs, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
• Salt and pepper
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 onions, chopped
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup dry red wine
• 2 cups beef brother
• 1 1/2 pounds red potatoes, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 pound carrots, peeled and sliced 1 inch thick
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 1/2 cups frozen peas
• 1/4 cup minced fresh parsley

Mise en place.

Browning only half the meat.

At some point I must've softened the onions and cooked the tomato paste and thyme until fragrant.

Stir in flour and cook for 1 minute.

Deglaze with wine.

Add in everything except for the parsley and peas and cook at high pressure for 25 minutes.

Add peas and parsley (which you know I don't have).  Season to taste.

Many of the pieces of short rib were rather springy more than tender.  This could either be my fault or the recipes.  I dunno; the cookbook has worked like a charm so far.  Plus boneless short ribs from Whole Foods at this amount...   Totally pricey.
Still.  A very good, straightforward beef stew.

The Never-Ending-Chicago-Winter Beef Stew

from Stephanie Izard's Girl in the Kitchen

• 3 tablespoons vegetable or canola oil
• 3 pounds beef, cubed
• Salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 small onion, finely diced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 pineapple, finely diced
• 1 apple, peeled and diced
• 1 pear, peeled anddiced
• 1/2 cup red wine
• 1 quart chicken broth
• One 16-ounce can diced tomatoes
• 3/4 cup fich sauce
• 3/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard [Oops, mine expired]
• 1 tablespoon sambal paste
  

Cutting a pineapple for the first time. Hardly a perfect spiral but a good first attempt.


Mise.


Browning the beef.


It would've been painstaking to brown the beef well (and the recipe didn't call for it anyway). I knew the recipe would have a 4 hour braise.


Sweat the onion and garlic.


Stir in the fruit and wine and decrease the liquid by half.


Add back the beef and everything else.


The flavors were definitely a nice blend of serious Southeast Asian flavors and more European ones, but I wouldn't quite call it a beef stew.
I'm thinking that maybe the family will get a kick out of it for Thanksgiving though Ropa Vieja would be a sure hit.