During my last trip to the wet market, I bought some beef with the intention of making pot roast for the Round Knights. Weeks passed, and for some reason or the other I just never got around to do it. This is becoming a bit of an annoying habit for me now… Anyway, of course the time came for Kak’mbang to start nagging about the amount of space the beef is taking up. So I decided to get rid of it by using it in another one-pot meal, again using my electric pressure cooker. I made this stew based on a recipe from Once Upon a Chef. While I wasn’t wowed the first time tasting it as soon as it was cooked, the flavors really really do develop over time, and in fact this stew was at its best a few days after. Perfect for busy people who prefer to make their weeknight meals ahead of time.
I served this stew with bread, but this can also be served with buttered pasta if you like. Enjoy!
Updated on Jul 11 2020 with new pictures. I also quite recently realized that you can saute onions straight in the Philips HD2139 pressure cooker using the Bake function. I still feel that a very hot skillet over the stove is still best for searing the beef, but everything else can pretty much be done using the Bake function for the convenience.
Pressure Cooker Beef Stew with Carrots and Potatoes
Ingredients
- 1.5 kilograms boneless beef chuck (well-marbled), cut into 1-1/2-inch chunks
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 3 tablespoons olive oil OR beef fat
- 2 medium yellow onions, cut into 1-inch chunks
- 7 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar OR balsamic vinegar, OR apple cider vinegar mixed with 1 teaspoon brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1/4 cup plain flour
- 2 cups red grape juice OR prune juice
- Beef stock cube, enough for 1 liter stock
- 1 teaspoon Worchestershire sauce
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tablespoon Herbes de Provence
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
- 2 medium carrots, peeled and cut into one-inch chunks on a diagonal
- 500 grams chat potatoes, cut in half
- 200 grams button mushrooms, sliced
- Fresh chopped celery leaves, for garnish (optional)
Direction
Pat the beef dry using paper towels.
Season with salt and pepper
In a large skillet over high heat, heat 1 tablespoon oil until hot and shimmering.
Brown the meat in a few batches, turning with tongs, 5 to 8 minutes per batch, adding another tablespoon of oil for each batch. For best results, wait for the pot and oil to heat up enough before adding the meat, and avoid overcrowding the pot. Make sure the meat develops a nice brown crust before turning.
Transfer meat to a large plate and set aside.
These steps onwards can be done in your pressure cooker pot using the Sear or Bake function, or in the same pot used for browning the meat. Add the onions, garlic and vinegar and cook, stirring with a wooden spoon to scrape brown bits from bottom of pot, about 5 minutes.
Add the tomato paste and cook a few minutes more.
Add the beef with the juices back to pan, and sprinkle with flour. Stir with wooden spoon until flour is dissolved, 1-2 minutes.
Add the juice, beef stock cube and 1 liter of water, ensuring the liquid ingredients are just enough to cover the meat.
Add the bay leaf, Herbes de Provence, thyme, and sugar. Stir with wooden spoon to loosen any brown bits from the bottom of pan, and bring to a boil.
Close and seal the pressure cooker lid and cook, using the Beef/Mutton setting or equivalent, 40 minutes.
When the timer is up, wait until the pressure releases naturally and remove the lid. Add the carrots, potatoes and mushrooms.
Cover and cook using the “Stew” setting, 5 minutes.
Taste and adjust seasoning, adding more freshly ground black pepper or sugar if necessary. Let cool, then store in refrigerator overnight or until ready to serve. This stew improves in flavor if made at least 1 day ahead. Reheat, covered over medium heat, or in the oven at 180 degrees C.
Garnish with fresh celery leaves if desired.
Serve with crusty bread or buttered pasta.
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