Beef & Vegetable Stew

This beef stew uses a pressure cooker to turn tough beef chuck into fork-tender cubes in a fraction of the time a Dutch oven would take. Fifteen minutes of active cooking, fifteen minutes under pressure, and you’ve got a rich, deeply flavored stew with vegetables that still have texture.

The browning step at the beginning is where all the flavor starts. Searing the beef cubes for a full 6 to 8 minutes builds a dark crust on every side, and sprinkling flour over the browned meat before adding liquid creates a built-in thickener that gives the broth body as it cooks under pressure.

The staggered vegetable additions are smart pressure cooking technique. Carrots and celery go in for the second 5-minute pressure cook, while peas get stirred in after the pressure releases since they only need residual heat to warm through. This means nothing turns to mush. The leek goes in at the start with the broth, breaking down into the liquid and adding a sweet, mild onion flavor throughout.

Kitchen Tips

• Brown the meat in batches if needed. Overcrowding steams instead of sears. You want dark, caramelized edges, not gray, steamed beef.
• Cook the flour for a full minute before adding liquid. This cooks out the raw flour taste and ensures it thickens the broth properly.
• Veal stock if you can find it. The recipe suggests it for a reason. Veal stock has natural gelatin that gives the broth a silkier, richer body than regular beef stock.
• Release pressure with cold water running over the lid, not the natural release method. This stops cooking immediately so the vegetables stay firm.

Variations

• Add potatoes with the carrots for a more traditional, hearty stew. Cut them into 1-inch chunks.
• Red wine deglaze: Before adding the stock, pour in half a cup of red wine and scrape up the brown bits from the bottom.
• Stovetop method: Without a pressure cooker, simmer covered for 1 ½ to 2 hours until the beef is tender, adding vegetables in the last 30 minutes.