Recipe: French beef stew in a pressure cooker

French Beef Stew is one of the oldest French recipes, dating back to the Middle Ages. It was a very popular dish because it allowed people to cook with inexpensive and easily accessible ingredients. The recipe for French Beef Stew has evolved over time, and today it can be easily made in a pressure cooker. It’s become a simple and quick dish to prepare, while still being incredibly flavourful.

How to make tender beef for french beef stew?

To successfully prepare your beef stew, it’s important to follow the cooking times and only open the pressure cooker once the cooking is complete. Additionally, to make the meat even more tender, you can marinate it in a mixture of white wine and vegetables before adding it to the pressure cooker. By choosing the right cuts of beef, you can achieve soft, tender meat, rather than a dry and tough result.

What are the best cuts of beef for beef stew?

For tender meat, you should choose a cut of beef that contains some gelatinous parts, such as chuck or brisket. You can also make the dish with brisket if you don’t like gelatinous meats.

Why is the meat in my beef stew tough?

There are several reasons why the meat in your beef stew might be tough:

• You didn’t choose the right cut of meat for the dish. Some cuts tend to toughen if cooked for too long.
• You didn’t cook the dish long enough, and the meat hasn’t had time to tenderise.

Ingredients 4 servings

• 1 kg of beef (chuck, short rib, etc.)
• 4 carots
• 4 turnips
• 2 onions
• 2 leeks
• 2 potatoes
• 1 bouquet garni (parsley, thyme and bay leaf)
• Olive oil
• Salt and black pepper

Beef stew preparation

1. Peel the carrots, turnips and potatoes.
2. Cut the carrots, turnips and potatoes in half. Cut the leeks into 10 cm pieces.
3. Cut the meat into large pieces (approximately 10 cm)
4. In the pressure cooker, heat a little olive oil and brown the beef quickly over high heat. Once it has taken on color, you can move on to the next step.
5. Add the onions cut into strips, sweat them for a few minutes with the meat until they become translucent.
6. Add the carrots, turnips, leeks and the bouquet garni.
7. Add 2 liters of water and season with salt and pepper. The water should cover all of the ingredients.
8. Close the casserole and cook for 25 minutes from the whistle.
9. After 25 minutes, open the casserole and adjust the seasoning if necessary. Serve the stew hot.

How to calculate cooking time in a pressure cooker?

Calculating cooking time in a pressure cooker is very easy. Once you hear the cooker start to whistle, you’ll know it’s time to start the countdown. Typically, cooking times for stews in a pressure cooker are much shorter than traditional methods, but you should follow the instructions for your specific recipe.

How to know if the meat is cooked?

To ensure your beef stew is properly cooked, check with a fork to see if the meat easily shreds on its own. It should be easy to shred, if not, it’s likely undercooked.

Which wine pairs well with beef stew?

To accompany this dish, we recommend a red wine with a good tannic structure, such as a Côtes du Rhône or a Beaujolais.

Can you add other ingredients to beef stew?

You can vary the ingredients to your liking by adding seasonal vegetables or herbs to enhance the flavour of your beef stew. You can also swap the beef for veal, lamb, or even offal, depending on your preferences.