Beef Stew - Pressure Cooked

This is the beef stew recipe for nights when you want the long-simmered flavor without the long simmer. The pressure cooker collapses what would normally be a 2-to-3-hour braise into 10 to 12 minutes under pressure, and the stewing beef comes out fork-tender all the same.

Brown the meat first in shortening directly in the pressure cooker. This is the step most pressure cooker recipes try to skip and shouldn’t, the Maillard browning is what gives the stew its deep, savory base. Stack the potatoes, carrots, peas, and stewed tomatoes on top of the browned beef, add a half cup of water, and lock the lid.

A simple homemade seasoning mix of garlic powder, onion powder, and black pepper is all the spice this needs. Stewed tomatoes already carry their own seasoning. Quick-cool the cooker to release pressure, then thicken the broth with a flour-and-water slurry if you want a true gravy consistency.

Pro Tips

• Brown the meat in batches if needed, crowded meat steams instead of browning and you lose flavor
• Quick-cool the pressure cooker as instructed, slow natural release will overcook the vegetables
• For a thicker stew, whisk 1 tablespoon flour with ¼ cup cold water and stir in after pressure releases
• If using fresh tomatoes instead of canned stewed, add ½ teaspoon sugar to balance the acidity

Variations

• Stir in 1 cup sliced mushrooms before pressurizing for added umami
• Swap water for beef broth for a richer base
• Add ½ cup red wine to the browned beef before sealing for classic Burgundian depth