Pressure Cooker Beef and Potato Stew
Tender chunks of beef chuck simmered with onions, carrots and potatoes in a rich paprika water. Everything cooks in one pressure cooker, so the meat turns fork-tender and the potatoes soak up the sauce.
- Total
- 95 min
- Prep 20 · Cook 65 · Rest 10
- Serves
- 1
- Difficulty
- Easy
You'll practice: Searing · Blooming spices
- Savory
- No rush
- Pressure cooker
Instructions
-
Pat the beef chuck dry and cut it into 3 cm cubes. Peel the onions and chop them into 1 cm dice. Peel the carrots and cut them into 2 cm rounds. Peel the potatoes and cut them into 3 cm chunks.
~15 min
-
Set the pressure cooker to the sauté setting and add 2 tbsp oil. When the oil shimmers, add the beef chuck in a single layer and brown it for 4 minutes per side, working in two batches so the pieces are not crowded. Transfer the browned beef to a plate.
~8 min
Browning in batches prevents steaming, creating Maillard flavor and fond that enrich the stew.
Brown the beef in two batches so the pieces sear instead of steam; the browned bits left in the pot are what give the water its depth.
Searing Pat beef dry and sear in a single layer over high heat without moving until a brown crust forms; crowding steams the meat and prevents browning.
-
Add the onion to the pressure cooker and cook on the sauté setting for 5 minutes until softened and lightly golden, scraping up the browned bits. Stir in 2 tsp paprika and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant.
~5 min
Blooming paprika in hot oil releases fat-soluble flavor compounds, deepening the stew's taste.
Blooming spices Stir paprika into hot oil for 30 seconds until fragrant; burning it turns bitter, so keep the heat moderate and stir constantly.
-
Return the beef chuck and any resting juices to the pot. Add the carrots, 500 ml water, 1.5 tsp salt and 0.5 tsp black pepper. Lock the lid and cook on high pressure for 25 minutes, then let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes.
~35 min
Pressure cooking tenderizes beef collagen into gelatin, while natural release prevents sudden boiling that toughens meat.
-
Release any remaining pressure and open the lid. Add the potatoes, lock the lid again and cook on high pressure for 8 minutes.
~8 min
Adding potatoes later prevents them from overcooking and turning mushy during the beef's longer cook.
Cut the potatoes into even 3 cm chunks so they hold their shape during the second pressure cook and do not turn to mush.
-
Release the pressure and open the lid. Check that the beef is fork-tender and the potatoes are cooked through; if the beef needs more time, lock the lid and cook on high pressure for 5 more minutes. Taste the water and adjust the salt.
~9 min