Years ago, one of my first recipes on this blog was a “Paleo-fied” version of Andrea’s Bò Kho from her fabulous first cookbook.
Ingredients
1/2 tsp
Ghee
2 1/4 kg
Beef, short ribs, bone-in, lean
(or 2 1/2 pounds grass fed beef brisket; or 1 1/2 chuck roast, trimmed and cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes)
1 medium
Yellow onion
(peeled and diced)
1 1/2 tsp
Madras curry powder
2 1/2 tbsp minced
Ginger root
(peeled and microplaned fresh)
2 cup
Diced tomatoes, canned
(drained and crushed by hand)
3 tbsp
Fish sauce
2 tbsp
Applesauce, unsweetened
1 stalk
Lemongrass
(large; trimmed; loose leaves; cut into 3-inch lengths; and bruised with a heavy object; e.g. ramekin; meat pounder; broad side of kitchen knife)
2 star
Anise seeds
(whole)
1 leaf
Bay leaf
1 cup
Bone broth, Organic
454 gm
Carrots
(peeled and chopped into 1-inch pieces)
1 pinch
Kosher salt
Instructions
Prep your ingredients! If you’re unfamiliar with lemongrass, check out this tutorial.
Grab your pressure cooker and melt the ghee over medium high heat. If you have an Instant Pot, use the “Sauté” function to heat the fat. Dry off the ribs and sear them in the pressure cooker.
Fry the beef in batches because you don’t want to overcrowd them in the pressure cooker. Transfer the seared beef to a separate bowl or plate.
Toss in the onions and saute until translucent.
Add the curry powder, ginger, seared beef, diced tomatoes, fish sauce, applesauce, star anise, smashed lemongrass stalks, and bay leaf. Pour in the broth.
Cover and lock the lid of your pressure cooker.
If you’re using an Instant Pot, press the clear/off button before pressing the “Manual” or "Pressure Cook" button. Hold down the “+” button until you set it to 50 minutes high pressure. (If you’re using cubed brisket or chuck roast, set it to cook for 35 minutes under high pressure.) Once the pot is programmed, walk away.
Using a stove-top pressure cooker? You won’t have all those buttons to press; instead, just cook covered on high heat until high pressure is reached. Then, reduce the heat to low to maintain high pressure for about 45 minutes if you’re cooking short ribs, and 30 minutes if you’re cooking cubed brisket or chuck roast.
When the stew is finished cooking, turn off the pressure cooker. Turn the valve at the top of the lid to release the pressure immediately.
Once the pressure’s dropped, pop open the lid and add the carrots. Cook for 7 minutes under high pressure.
This time, when the stew finishes cooking, turn off the pressure cooker and let the pressure drop naturally. If the pressure hasn’t dropped completely after 15 minutes, turn the valve at the top of the lid to fully release the pressure.
Adjust the stew for seasoning with salt and fish sauce if needed.
Dig in right away—or store the stew in the fridge or freezer to eat at a later date. The stew will keep in an airtight container for up to 4 days in the fridge and several months in the freezer.
