Pressure Cooker BBQ Beef Brisket with Slaw
Tender shredded brisket tossed in barbecue sauce, piled with a cool coleslaw mix and a touch of brown sugar. A high-protein, not spicy pressure cooker dinner for six.
- Total
- 100 min
- Prep 20 · Cook 65 · Rest 15
- Serves
- 1
- Difficulty
- Medium
You'll practice: Searing · Deglazing
- Savory
- No rush
- Pressure cooker
Instructions
-
Pat the beef brisket dry with paper towels and cut it into 4 equal chunks so it fits the pressure cooker. Rub all over with 2 tsp salt and 1 tsp black pepper.
~8 min
Drying the surface prevents steam, letting the rub adhere and the meat brown instead of stew.
-
Set the pressure cooker to sauté and add 2 tbsp oil. Once the oil shimmers, add the brisket chunks and sear 3 minutes per side until deeply browned on all sides, about 12 minutes total. Work in two batches if needed so the pieces sit in a single layer.
~18 min
Searing triggers Maillard browning, building the deep roasted flavor that barbecue sauce alone cannot provide.
Sear the brisket in a single layer without crowding; steam trapped between pieces prevents the deep browning that gives the sauce its flavor.
Searing Get the oil shimmering and leave each chunk untouched for the full 3 minutes; moving it early steams the surface and you lose the brown crust.
-
Slice the onion into 1 cm wedges. Add the onion to the pressure cooker and cook 3 minutes until softened. Pour in 250 ml water and scrape up the browned bits from the bottom.
~3 min
Pouring water into the hot pot and scraping lifts the browned fond, which dissolves into and flavors the braising liquid.
Deglazing Add the liquid while the pot is hot and scrape the bottom firmly with a wooden spoon until no brown bits remain, or the sauce will taste scorched.
-
Lock the lid and cook on high pressure for 45 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally for 15 minutes, then quick release any remaining pressure. The brisket should shred easily with a fork.
~60 min
Collagen needs sustained heat and moisture to melt into gelatin, which is what makes the brisket shred tenderly.
-
While step 4 cooks
While the brisket cooks, toss the coleslaw mix with 2 tbsp brown sugar in a large bowl until evenly coated. Cover and refrigerate until serving.
~5 min
-
Transfer the brisket to a cutting board and shred with two forks. Return the shredded beef to the pressure cooker, stir in 300 ml barbecue sauce, and set to sauté for 5 minutes until the sauce thickens and coats the meat.
~5 min
Sautéing evaporates water in the sauce so it thickens and clings to the shredded meat instead of pooling.
If the shredded brisket looks dry after pressure cooking, stir in 2 to 3 tbsp of the cooking liquid before adding the barbecue sauce.
-
Pile the sauced brisket on a platter and top with the chilled coleslaw mix. Serve immediately.
~3 min