Instant Pot Recipes from a Chef's Wife and IP Enthusiast

Festive Instant Pot Guinness Beef Barley Stew

Start to finish cook time: 1hour (20 prep + 18 pressurizing + 10 high pressure + 6 pressurizing + 10 cook) 
Effort Level: Low
Servings: 8



It's March and I confirmed last year I am 51% Irish, so I'm fully allowed to continue over celebrate Saint Patrick's Day as I always have. I consulted with Chef on creating a fun barley stew and he suggested I turn it into a Guinness stew (why I married him). This stew captures the aroma and flavors of a good hearty Irish stew, to be enjoyed on a cold March day.

The best part about stew, it requires very little effort! So while my stew was cooking, I was folding laundry and cleaning the kitchen (Chef will applaud extra time to clean).

If you want to jump straight to the recipe, no need to keep scrolling it's right below. If you want step-by-step pictures though, I've included those below the recipe. And as my Chef husband says, "Food is love". Enjoy!





Ingredients
  • 1/2 bag mini carrots, chopped in half
  • 1 celery stalk, sliced
  • 1-1.5 lb cubed stew meat
  • 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
  • 4 tbsp (2 oz) Smart Balance Butter or Irish butter 
  • 1/2 cup quick pearled barley, uncooked (make sure it's the quick kind)
  • 1 large baking potato, peeled and diced
  • 1 beef bouillon cube
  • 3 tbsp tomato paste
  • 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 1/2 tsp dried parsley 
  • 4 cup water
  • 1 cup Guinness
  • 3 tbsp cornstarch

Instructions
  1. Chop onions and slice celery. Peel potato, chop into 1-2 inch squares. Peel garlic and chop. Set aside. 
  2. Set Instant Pot to high saute.
  3. Add butter, garlic, and onion. Cook for 2 minutes and then add stew meat, cook until onion is translucent and meat is brown on sides.
  4. Turn off saute. Add chopped vegetables, seasoning, and all remaining ingredients EXCEPT barley and cornstarch. 
  5. Seal your pot and set to 10 minutes high pressure. Allow for 18 minutes pressurizing. Make sure steam vent is in the sealed position.
  6. Once it beeps, quick release and add barley. Seal again, set to 10 minutes high pressure and allow for 6 minutes pressurizing this time (it will reach pressure more quickly, since it's pretty hot already).
  7. Once done, quick release pressure.
  8. Take 6 tbsp of broth and add to a small bowl. Add 3 tbsp cornstarch to this bowl and wish together until very well blended.
  9. Set your pot to high saute and bring to a boil, once boiling mix in the cornstarch mixture until blended. Turn off and serve.
Peel and chop potato. Dice baby carrots in half. Slice one talk celery.
Dice onions. Peel and chop 2 cloves garlic.
Add 4 tbsp butter (or 2 oz), chopped onions, and chopped garlic.
2 minutes later, add stew meat. Cook until onions are translucent and
meat is brown.
Add all remaining ingredients, EXCEPT barley and
cornstarch. Cook high pressure for 10 minutes, allow for 18
minutes pressurizing. 
Quick release, add barley. Seal and set for 10 more minutes
high pressure. Allow for 6 minutes pressurization.
Quick release. Take 6 tbsp broth and add to a small bowl.
Add 3 tbsp cornstarch to that same bowl. Whisk until
blended. Set to high saute, once stew is bubbling hot
add the cornstarch mixture and mix until thickened
and blended. Turn pot off.
Pair with a Guinness and enjoy!