Instant Pot Sesame Beef with Zucchini

Tender chunks of beef with bites of zucchini in an easy stir fry sauce.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 Tbsp canola oil
• 1 lb beef stew meat or chuck roast cut into bite size pieces
• ½ cup chicken broth or beef broth
• ¼ cup low sodium soy sauce
• 2 Tbsp rice vinegar
• ½ tsp sesame oil
• 1 Tbsp sugar
• 1 Tbsp minced garlic
• 1 Tbsp minced ginger
• 2 Tbsp cornstarch + 2 Tbsp cold water
• 2 small zucchinis (I used one green and one yellow), sliced
• 1 Tbsp sesame seeds

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Turn your Instant Pot to the saute setting. When the display says HOT add in the oil and swirl it around. Add in the stew meat and brown it for about 5 minutes. Turn it over about halfway through. The pieces of meat should develop color but not necessarily on the entire piece of meat.
2. In a bowl stir together the broth, soy sauce, vinegar, sesame oil, sugar, garlic and ginger. Pour the mixture over the meat. Deglaze the pot. Turn off the saute setting.
3. Cover the pot and secure the lid. Make sure the valve is set to sealing. Set the manual/pressure cook button to 20 minutes. When the time is up let the pressure release naturally. Then remove the lid. 
4. Turn the Instant Pot to the saute setting. In a small bowl stir together the water and cornstarch until smooth. Then stir it into the pot to thicken the sauce. Stir in the sliced zucchini. Once the sauce is thickened turn off the saute setting and set the pot to the keep warm function. Cover the pot and let it sit for a few minutes until zucchini is tender. 
5. Serve the beef, sauce and zucchini with a sprinkling of sesame seeds over the top. You can eat this plain or you can serve it over rice or ramen noodles.

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