Pressure Cooker Braised Beef Recipe

Using a pressure cooker is one of the best ways of cooking the less tender cuts of meat. The higher pressure makes even the toughest portion of meat tender, yet retains all the flavour.

Pressure cookers are great for stews and for steaming, but they are also useful if you are going to serve the meat in the sauce and can rapidly be adapted for cooking curries and African style soups. Here, we have a classic British recipe for braised beef in a spiced mustard sauce that's been adapte to be cooked quickly in a pressure cooker.

This yields a rich sauce and melt-in-the-mouth meat.

Pressure Cooker Braised Beef

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

1 tbsp oil

750g (1 1/2 lb) boned beef topside, cut into 4 or 8 slices

2 onions, sliced

450ml (1 4/5 cups) water

2 tbsp red wine vinegar

1 tsp ground mixed spice (pumpkin pie spice)

1 tsp French (Dijon) mustard

1 tbsp tomato purée

1 tbsp cornflour (cornstarch)

salt and freshly-ground black pepper, to taste

Method:

Heat the oil in the base of a pressure cookery. Add the beef slices and fry, turning frequently, until nicely browned on both sides. Remove from the pressure cooker with tongs and set aside to keep warm.

Add the onions to the oil remaining in the pan and fry for between 3 and 4 minutes, or until they are just beginning to brown. Add the water (but reserve 2 tbsp) then mix in the vinegar, mixed spice, mustard, tomato purée, salt and black pepper. Stir well to combine then return the beef to the pressure cookery.

Secure the lid on the pressure cooker and seal. Bring to full pressure over high heat then reduce the heat to stabilize the pressure. Cook for 15 minutes then take off the heat and put under a running cold tap to reduce the pressure quickly. 

Blend the cornflour (cornstarch) with the reserved water to form a smooth slurry. Stir this into the sauce in the pressure cooker and bring back to a boil. Cook, stirring frequently, until the sauce has thickened.

Adjust the seasonings to taste, arrange the meat on a serving plate, pour over the sauce and serve.

If you want even more ideas for pressure cooker based recipes, please visit the Pressure Cooker recipes page.