Pressure Cooker Beef Stew

Any beef stew can be streamlined by using the pressure cooker — try your own favourite recipe, sealing the pot and simmering under pressure for about 1/3 of the time you would normally cook it.

Ingredients

canola or olive oil, for cooking
2 lb (1 kg) stewing beef, cubed
coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 onion, chopped
2 tbsp (30 mL) flour
3-4 carrots, scrubbed and cut into one-inch pieces
2 medium thin-skinned potatoes, cut into one-inch pieces
2 tsp (10 mL) chopped fresh rosemary or thyme
2 cups (500 mL) beef stock
1 14 oz. (398 mL) can diced tomatoes, with their juices
1 cup (250 mL) red wine (optional)

Directions

In a stovetop pressure cooker or Instant Pot, heat a drizzle of oil over medium-high heat. Sprinkle the beef with salt and pepper and brown in batches, without crowding the pot, and transfer to a plate as you cook. Add the onions to the pot and cook for a few minutes, until soft. Return the beef to the pot, sprinkle with flour and stir to coat.

Add the carrots, potatoes, rosemary or thyme, beef stock, tomatoes and wine, put on the lid, turn it to seal, and bring it up to pressure according to the manufacturer’s directions. Once it’s up to pressure  — you can usually tell by the dangly piece on top steaming and spinning — reduce the heat to medium-low, ensuring that the top is still steaming and spinning, and cook for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool until the pressure goes down, then remove the lid.

Serves 6.

Originally published in 2013.