Stew with sauce in pressure cooker: a tender and flavorful main course, ready in less than an hour, perfect for when you have little time but don’t want to miss out on the taste of a Sunday dish.
Imagine meat that melts in your mouth and a thick, fragrant sauce, perfect for sopping up with bread. It seems like the result of long slow cooking, but the secret is all in the method: the pressure cooker.
This kitchen ally allows you to achieve impeccable consistency in record time, preserving the tenderness of the meat without having to spend hours in front of the stove. It’s the ideal solution for those who don’t want to give up the flavor of traditional dishes, even when time is tight.
Besides the classic polenta, this stew is perfect accompanied by a creamy mashed potatoes or, for a more rustic touch, slices of toasted homemade bread, ideal for sopping up every last drop of sauce.
If you, like me, are always in a hurry, try the Pressure Cooker Stew Recipe without tomato!
Here’s how to prepare the Stew with sauce in pressure cooker recipe. Get your scale ready: let’s start!
And if you try it, don’t forget to let me know in the comments on my Facebook page HERE. If you wish, give a Like to the page: it would really make me happy. I’m waiting for you.
Gabriella
Other delicious recipes to try:
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Cooking methods: Stove, Pressure Cooker
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All Seasons
Ingredients
- 1.76 lbs beef (chuck, shoulder, or top blade – ask your trusted butcher)
- to taste flour (to flour the meat)
- 1 golden onion
- 2 carrots (small)
- 1 stalk celery
- 5 tbsps extra virgin olive oil
- 21.16 oz tomato puree
- to taste salt
- to taste pepper
- 1 sprig rosemary
- 2 leaves bay leaf
Tools
- 1 Pressure Cooker
- 1 Chopper
Steps
First, cut the meat into cubes about 1-1.5 inches (try to make them as uniform as possible or ask your butcher to cut them). Dredge them in flour, shaking them in a sieve to remove the excess: this step is essential for a thick sauce.
In the open pressure cooker, heat the extra virgin olive oil and add the chopped celery, carrot, and onion. Let them soften over low heat for about 5 minutes until the onion becomes transparent.
Raise the heat and add the meat cubes. Sear them well on all sides until a slight golden crust forms. This is where the juices are sealed in to keep the meat tender. Pour in the wine and let the alcohol evaporate completely, until you no longer smell the wine’s pungent odor.
Add the tomato puree, the herbs (rosemary and bay leaf), salt, and pepper. Mix well. If the mixture seems too thick, add 100 ml of broth or hot water: I didn’t need to.
Close the pressure cooker. Raise the heat and, as soon as you hear the whistle, lower the heat to the minimum. Count 35-40 minutes of cooking time.
Once the time has passed, turn off the heat and let the steam release completely before opening. If the sauce is still too liquid, turn on the heat and let it thicken for 2-3 minutes uncovered.
Smart tip 😉 If you have time, let the stew rest in the closed pot for 10 minutes after turning off the heat (but before venting). The residual heat will finish cooking, making the meat fibers even more tender.
Here is the Stew with Sauce in the pressure cooker ready. Enjoy your meal!
See you in the next recipe
Storage
You can store the stew in the refrigerator for 2-3 days, sealed in a glass or plastic container with an airtight lid. The sauce should cover the meat well to prevent it from drying out on the surface. Never put it in the fridge while it’s still hot. Let it cool at room temperature, but not for more than 2 hours.
If you’ve made a large batch, you can freeze it. It will keep well for about 2-3 months.
Tips and Suggestions
– Before adding the liquids, brown the meat over high heat in a little oil or butter. This phase (known as the Maillard reaction) seals the juices inside and creates a tasty crust that will add color and intensity to the entire dish.
– Extra tip: lightly flour the meat cubes before browning; it will also help thicken the sauce.
– Also, do not overfill the pot. If there’s too much meat, brown it in two batches. If you put too much at once, the pot’s temperature drops, and the meat will start to boil in its juices instead of browning.
– Like a steak, stew also needs to rest. Let it cool in its pot for 15-20 minutes before serving. The fibers will relax and reabsorb the sauce.
– Besides rosemary and bay leaf, try adding a strip of lemon zest (only the yellow part) in the last 5 minutes of uncovered cooking: it will add a note of freshness to the final dish.
Meat Tips
Choice of cut (The real secret): not all meat is the same. For the pressure cooker, avoid cuts that are too lean (like round), as they would become dry. Instead, choose cuts rich in connective tissue, such as chuck or top blade.
These parts contain fat veins that, with heat and pressure, melt and turn the meat into butter. If in doubt, ask your butcher.
These parts contain fat veins that, with heat and pressure, melt and turn the meat into butter. If in doubt, ask your butcher.
These parts contain fat veins that, with heat and pressure, melt and turn the meat into butter. If in doubt, ask your butcher.
An Anti-Waste Idea
If you have a lot of sauce left, but little meat, don’t throw it away! The stew sauce is an exceptional condiment for pasta.
If you have a lot of sauce left, but little meat, don’t throw it away! The stew sauce is an exceptional condiment for pasta.
IF YOU LIKE MY RECIPES, YOU CAN ALSO FOLLOW ME ON MY FACEBOOK PAGE HERE OR ON PINTEREST HERE OR EVEN ON INSTAGRAM HERE
And to not miss the next updates, give a nice ‘Like’ to my Facebook page, it will make me very happy! Thank you so much!
