Using chuck roast in an Instant Pot beef stew is a cost-effective way to get quality protein. This cut of beef is usually affordable, even in the grass-fed, grass-finished category, which is the highest in nutrition. Start with at least two pounds. There are many variations of this recipe that use different spices, but the key ingredients remain the same.

2lb grass fed chuck roast

1 medium-large onion

2 cloves garlic (option)

4 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons coconut aminos (optional)

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon thyme

1/8 teaspoon pepper

• Start Instant Pot on Sauté
• Add 4 tablespoons olive oil
• Dice onion and add to pot

• Cut chuck roast into large cubes, follow natural lines of connective tissue

• Sprinkle cubes with a teaspoon of salt or more if desired for dry brine while onions cooking
• When onions reach desired level of done- few minutes for soft and sweet, longer for rich and caramelize then add beef

• Saute beef until all pieces are browned on all sides
• Add teaspoon thyme or other seasoning, stir
• Add two tablespoons coconut aminos, stir
• Add one cup water, stir
• Cancel Saute and start pressure cook, hi, for 20 minutes (well done), or 18 minutes (medium). You might need to adjust time based on your pressure cooker.
• When finished, check the meat. If it is fully cooked, remove it. If more time is needed, leave it in and turn the pot off and then back on to SAUTE mode. Let the sauce boil down to the desired thickness. Remove the meat once it is fully cooked. This is also a good time to add other items, such as carrots and/or onion chunks. The sauce takes about 20-30 minutes to thicken, so you can add and cook other vegetables during this time.

Variation: Indian spices; 3 teaspoon garam masala, 3 teaspoons ground cumin and 3 teaspoons ground cardamom, one teaspoon turmeric. Optional teaspoon of Kashmiri chili powder.

Texas variation: use seeded whole dried chilly peppers that have been soaked in water for an hour, added to onions. Arbol and other large chillies work well.

Another option is to remove the meat and pour the broth into a large measuring cup. A two-pound roast with one cup of water often yields three cups of broth. Rinse the basmati rice until the water runs clear (about five times), then drain it and place it in a pot with the broth. Use one cup of rice for every cup of broth. Pressure cook on high for 8 minutes. When done, fluff the rice and return the meat to the pot.