Beef Stroganoff OR Beef Tips

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp oil
2 medium onions, sliced or diced
2 Tbsp butter
12 ounces mushrooms, sliced
2 cloves garlic
2 pounds beef sirloin, (or other cut: stew beef, blade, London Broil)
1 cup beef broth or water
1 cup wine, red or white (or additional broth or water and 1 Tbsp vinegar)
2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
2 Tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp brown sugar
1/2 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 1/2 Tbsp cornstarch
2 Tbsp water
3/4 cup sour cream *(for stroganoff)

Directions:

Slice the beef across the grain into 1” X 2” strips and season with salt and pepper.

Press Sauté and when the display says Hot, add the oil. Swirl to coat the pan and add the beef. Brown well on both sides. Brown. Not grey. Browning caramelizes the meat and greatly improves the flavour. Transfer the meat to a plate and add the butter, onions and mushrooms to the pot. Saute, stirring frequently for a few minutes until lightly browned and any liquid has evaporated. Add the garlic for the last 30 seconds and then press Cancel.

Add the broth/water/wine (any combination of these) and deglaze the pot: scrape all the browned bits off the bottom. (If you skip this step, you might get the dreaded “Burn” notice and your IP will shut down.)

Add the Worcestershire, soy, brown sugar, thyme, salt and pepper. Return the meat to the pot and give it a stir. Close the lid and make sure the valve is set to Sealing. Push Pressure Cook (or Manual) and use the + and - buttons to get to 3 minutes for sirloin (a tender cut), or 20 minutes for tougher cuts like stew beef or London Broil.

While it's cooking, stir the cornstarch and water until smooth.

When the Instant Pot beeps that it's done, leave it for 15 minutes natural release. Then flip the valve from Sealing to Venting for a quick release and when the pin drops, open the pot and inhale the savoury aroma. Hit Cancel.

Press Sauté again and stir the cornstarch slurry a bit before adding about half of it, stirring gently until it boils and thickens. If you want it thicker, add a little more. Taste and add salt and pepper if needed. Press Cancel.

Now you have a choice: serve it as is for savoury Beef Tips or transform it into Beef Stroganoff by stirring in the sour cream.

Serve with buttered egg noodles, rice, cauliflower rice or mashed potatoes. It's also great served over garlic toast.