Pressure Cooked Beef Stew with Red Wine Gravy
The recipe walks you through the magic of turning simple ingredients into a stew that's so rich and flavorful. And if the gravy's too runny for your liking, there's a quick fix to thicken it up, ensuring your stew's dressed to impress. Thanks to the trusty pressure cooker. It's a foolproof way to some gourmet comfort food without spending the day in the kitchen.
Equipment
- Pressure cooker
Ingredients
- 3 lbs boneless stewing beef (I used chuck steak), cut into 1-inch cubes
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- to taste salt and freshly ground pepper
- 3 tbs olive oil
- 1-1/2 cups red wine
- 1 large yellow or red onion, finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 2 carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
- 2 celery stalks, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
- 1/2 lbs new potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
- 1 tbs tomato paste
- 1-1/2 cups beef stock
- 3 fresh thyme sprigs
- 1/2 cup frozen peas or beans (optional)
Instructions
- In a large bowl, toss the beef with the flour, salt and pepper to coat evenly.
- If your electric pressure cooker has a 'brown' setting, use it (otherwise simply put the cooker on a medium high heat). Add the olive oil and warm, then add half the beef and brown on all sides - 3-4 minutes. Transfer to a bowl. Repeat with the remaining beef and transfer to the bowl. NB: Alternatively, you can brown the meat in a separate fry-pan (skillet) if you prefer.
- Add the wine to the pressure cooker (or fry-pan) and bring to a simmer, stirring to scrape up the browned bits. Add the beef, onion, garlic, carrots, celery, frozen peas or beans (if using), potatoes, tomato paste, stock and thyme and stir to combine. Cover and cook on high heat for 20 minutes.
- Take the cooker off the heat and use the quick release method to stop the cooking.
- Serve immediately with a salad or sides.
Notes
Once the stew is cooked, check the consistency of the gravy. I found that it was just right. However, if you feel it is too thin, transfer the beef and vegetables to a serving bowl, set the pressure cooker to 'brown' (or put the cooker over moderately high heat) and cook until the liquid is reduced to the desired consistency (or, boil the liquid in a separate saucepan). Alternatively, you could mix a little flour or cornflour (corn starch) with a small amount of the gravy, add to the remaining liquid, and cook it to thicken. Pour the gravy back over the beef and vegetables and serve.
Nutrition
Calories: 628kcalCarbohydrates: 13gProtein: 45gFat: 43gSaturated Fat: 16gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gMonounsaturated Fat: 22gTrans Fat: 2gCholesterol: 154mgSodium: 218mgPotassium: 1032mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 76IUVitamin C: 8mgCalcium: 42mgIron: 6mg
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