Beef and Rice with Butternut Squash
A cozy, brothy rice dish inspired by Brazilian *arroz caldoso*. Made with tender shredded beef, arborio rice, butternut squash, potatoes, carrots, and a little full-fat coconut milk. It's similar in texture to risotto, but much simpler to make.
Equipment
- 8-quart Instant Pot or electric pressure cooker
- wooden spoon or silicone spatula
- Two forks for shredding the beef
Ingredients
- 1 lb stewing beef 495g
- 1 small onion diced
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1 small potato peeled and diced
- 1 small carrot peeled and diced; (1 cup)
- 2 cups butternut squash fresh or frozen; 185g
- 1 cup arborio rice 185g
- 1 small can full-fat coconut milk (160 mL / ⅔ cup);
- 900 ml water
- 1 2 tablespoons olive oil or other cooking oil
- salt to taste
- parsley to taste
Instructions
- Brown the beef. Set the Instant Pot to Sauté and add the oil. Make sure the pot is hot before adding the beef. Brown the stewing beef well on all sides. If the pot is too crowded, work in batches. Crowding the beef will cause it to release moisture and steam instead of searing. Remove the beef and set aside.1 lb stewing beef, 1 2 tablespoons olive oil or other cooking oil
- Sauté the aromatics. Add the onion and garlic to the pot and sauté for about 2 minutes, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom.1 small onion, 3 garlic cloves
- Pressure cook the beef. Return the beef to the pot and add the potato, carrot, butternut squash, salt to taste and water. Secure the lid and cook on High Pressure for 40 minutes. When the cooking time is complete, quick release the pressure.1 small potato, 1 small carrot, 2 cups butternut squash, salt, 900 ml water
- Shred the beef. Remove the beef from the pot and shred it with two forks. Return the shredded beef to the pot.
- Cook the rice. Add the arborio rice, butternut squash, and coconut milk. Leave the lid off and set the Instant Pot to Sauté. Cook until the rice reaches your desired doneness, about 15 minutes in my pressure cooker. Stir occasionally at first, then more frequently toward the end as the rice thickens to prevent it from sticking to the bottom.1 cup arborio rice, 1 small can full-fat coconut milk
- Finish and serve. Stir in fresh parsley, taste and adjust the seasoning, and serve immediately while the rice is still loose and brothy.
Notes
- Coconut milk: Use 1 small 160 mL (⅔ cup) can of full-fat coconut milk, not the large can. The smaller amount adds richness without overpowering the other flavors.
- Don't crowd the beef: If your pressure cooker isn't large enough to brown the beef in a single layer, work in batches. Proper browning adds much more flavor.
- Fresh or frozen squash: Frozen butternut squash is my preferred weeknight shortcut. If using fresh, peel and cut it into pieces about the same size as the frozen cubes.
- Kabocha squash: You can substitute kabocha squash for the butternut squash.
- Keep it brothy: The finished dish should be looser than traditional risotto. The arborio rice will continue absorbing liquid after cooking.
- Stir the rice: Arborio rice is very starchy and can stick to the bottom of the pot, so stir occasionally while it cooks.
- Best eaten fresh: This recipe is perfectly safe and delicious to eat later, but the texture will change as the rice continues absorbing the liquid. Leftovers will be considerably thicker.
- Storage: Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Add a splash of water when reheating to loosen the consistency.
- Pressure cooker alternatives: You can also make this in a traditional stovetop pressure cooker or a regular heavy-bottomed pot with a tight-fitting lid. Cooking times will vary and you will need to add more liquid as it evaporates.
Nutrition
Calories: 427kcal | Carbohydrates: 38g | Protein: 18g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 59mg | Sodium: 78mg | Potassium: 626mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 4977IU | Vitamin C: 16mg | Calcium: 54mg | Iron: 4mg
