Rich beef casserole

Name: Rich beef casserole
Cook time: 1 h 30 min
Cuisine: British
Ingredients: 1/4 cup olive oil; 8 small white or brown onions or 4 large onions, cut into quarters; 1kg braising beef, cut into 3cm cubes; 1 tbsp plain flour; 1 cup red wine; 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped; 3-4 sprigs thyme; 1 bay leaf; Salt and freshly ground black pepper; 500g chat (baby) potatoes; 1 bunch baby carrots or 3 medium carrots, trimmed and cut into quarters; 1 punnet cherry tomatoes; Freshly chopped flat-leaf parsley, to garnish

Suzanne Gibbs

October 18, 2011

Time:1-2 hours

This one-pot meal is slightly more complex than some, with the pressure being stopped and started twice, so foods that don't require such a long cooking time can be added. This illustrates how you can adapt many favourite recipes to the pressure cooker. For this flavoursome casserole, chuck or shin beef are good choices.

Ingredients

1/4 cup olive oil
8 small white or brown onions or 4 large onions, cut into quarters
1kg braising beef, cut into 3cm cubes
1 tbsp plain flour
1 cup red wine
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
3-4 sprigs thyme
1 bay leaf
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
500g chat (baby) potatoes
1 bunch baby carrots or 3 medium carrots, trimmed and cut into quarters
1 punnet cherry tomatoes
Freshly chopped flat-leaf parsley, to garnish

Method

Heat half the oil in the pressure cooker over medium heat and lightly brown the onions until golden, then remove and set aside.
Add the remaining oil and brown the beef cubes in batches over medium-high heat. Return all the beef to the pan and sprinkle with flour. Cook, stirring, for about three minutes. Add the wine, garlic and the herbs and season well with salt and pepper. Close the lid and lock it, then bring the cooker to low pressure over high heat. Once low pressure has been reached, reduce the heat to stabilise pressure and cook for 20 minutes. Remove the cooker from the heat and release the pressure using the quick-release or cold-water release method.
Uncover, add the potatoes and quickly replace the lid, bringing the cooker back to low pressure over high heat.
Once low pressure has been reached, reduce the heat to stabilise pressure and cook for another 10 minutes. Remove the cooker from the heat again and release the pressure using the quick-release or cold-water release method. Uncover and add the browned onions, carrots and tomatoes. Quickly replace the lid, bringing the cooker back to low pressure over high heat. Once low pressure has been reached, reduce the heat to stabilise pressure and cook for another five minutes. Release the pressure using the natural-release method, remove the lid and check that everything is cooked and tender. Spoon the casserole into wide shallow bowls, scatter with parsley and follow with a green salad.
The Pressure Cooker Recipe Book by Suzanne Gibbs, Viking, $39.95

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