The first snowflakes are showing up on my little-not-so-little handheld device weather app.
Old Man Frost showed himself on windshields and windows on my morning run yesterday.
My 17-year old son is starting to move through the house making Nordic ski motions. (He waits all year for ski season.)
Winter a cometh!
As the weather turns towards winter, so my stockpot and Instant Pot turn to making more stews and soups. This past week I made a very comforting, hearty Hungarian Beef Stew. Here is my version. Hungarian Beef Stew is a perfect comfort food dish and a nourishing option for colder days. Spiced with smoked paprika and full of tender stew meat.
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Hungarian Beef Stew
Description
Inspired by Sarah Fragoso’s Everyday Paleo Hungarian Stew. Includes alternative directions for cooking the stew meat in the Instant Pot.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil
- 2 pounds beef (or lamb) stew meat
- 2 carrots, cut into 1/2-inch rounds
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 6 garlic cloves, minced
- 4 tablespoons smoked paprika (no that isn’t a typo!)
- 2 teaspoons caraway seeds
- 6 ounces tomato paste (Bionaturae or Jovial)
- 6 cups beef (or chicken) stock
- 2 cups peeled & diced winter squash (I used butternut)
- 1 tablespoon sea salt
- fresh ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a large stock pot, heat the coconut oil over medium heat
- Add the stew meat & brown for 5-7 minutes
- OPTIONAL INSTANT POT ALTERNATIVE: Brown the stew meat on the Saute’ setting in Instant Pot, and then cook stew meat for 25 minutes on Stew setting in the Instant Pot w/ 3 cups of the meat stock, then add to the stockpot with other ingredients when all the vegetables are completely cooked
- Add carrots, onion, & garlic to the browned stew meat, and cook for 10 minutes
- Add the paprika & caraway seeds and mix well
- Cook for another 5 minutes
- Pour in the tomato paste & beef stock, mix well, & bring to a boil
- Turn the heat down so that the stew is just at a simmer & cook uncovered for 1 hour
- Add the diced winter squash & cook for another hour (If doing OPTIONAL ALTERNATIVE skip steps 8 & 9 and add squash in after tomato paste & beef stock & simmer for 30 minutes before adding stew meat)
- Season with sea salt & black pepper