Many people don't make stews because they don't think of them in time and they associate them with messy prep, overnight marinades, and long cooking. The first thing you should know is that you can make a beef stew without marinating or browning the meat (the French have a whole family of such stews, called daubes). As soon as you come home and take off your coat, just put the meat in a pot with some onions, carrots, and a bouquet garni, pour over enough liquid to cover, bring to a simmer, and cook for 2 to 3 hours. You can then serve as is, or you can reduce and/or thicken the stewing liquid. If you know how to use a pressure cooker, you can make the stew in an hour.
The beef stew presented here uses all the steps: marinating, flouring, browning. If you don't have the time, you can skip them.
I got the recipe from Giggi Burns years ago
- Chop up the chuck roast into 1½ inch cubes. Season with salt and pepper, then flour the meat. Brown the meat using tongs, turn the cubes until all the cubes are seared and browned on all sides. Transfer the cubes to a plate.
- Add more olive oil to the pan used to brown the meat, and heat over medium heat. Add the carrots, onions, and garlic in the bottom of your cooking pot.
- Add everything else. Add more wine or water to cover the meat and cook on low heat with stove top or cook for 2½ hours in a 325º oven. Knife will slide easily out of the meat when done
Pressure Cooker Directions
- After the meat is brown, stir in the broth, wine. Add the carrots and artfully place the bouquet garni on the surface of the stew.
- Close the lid, and secure the pressure regulator. Heat until you start to hear sizzling, then reduce the heat to medium, and set your timer for 20 minutes. If you have an adjustable pressure regulator, set it for 10 pounds of pressure.
- Meanwhile, boil the potatoes in another pot (10 minutes). Drain and add to the stew once done cooking with the pressure cooker.