Beef stew with red wine and fresh rosemary

Ingredients

Method

1. 1.

   Prepare the meat and vegetables. Cut the beef into roughly even pieces, about 3–4 cm, and pat the surface dry. Finely chop the onion and dice the carrot and any celery small, about 5 mm — they should become a flavour base in the sauce. Chop the garlic finely, roughly chop the tomatoes and remove the hard stem end. Rinse the rosemary sprig and keep it whole.

2. 2.

   Brown the meat properly. Start the sauté function without the lid and add a little olive oil once the pot is hot. Season the meat with about ½ tsp salt and brown it in 3–4 batches with space between the pieces, until clearly browned. Transfer to a plate and save the juices.

3. 3.

   Soften the vegetable base. Lower the heat, add the rest of the olive oil and cook the onion, carrot and celery gently for 8–10 minutes until softened but not deeply browned. Add the garlic for about 30 seconds, then stir in the tomato purée and cook for 1 more minute.

4. 4.

   Add the wine and deglaze. Pour in 200 ml red wine and scrape the bottom with a wooden or silicone spatula so all the browned bits come loose. Let it simmer 3–5 minutes uncovered, without boiling dry. The bottom must be free of stuck-on residue before pressure cooking — this reduces the risk of a burn warning.

5. 5.

   Assemble the stew. Pour in 400 ml beef stock and return the meat with all its juices. Add black pepper, the whole rosemary sprig and any bay leaves. Spread the tomatoes on top without stirring them down. Check that the thin liquid still meets the manual's requirement.

6. 6.

   Pressure cook on high. End the sauté function, check the seal and valve and close the lid. Choose high pressure: 40 minutes for 3–4 cm pieces, or 45 minutes for 4–5 cm. Heating and pressure build-up come on top of that.

7. 7.

   Let the pressure drop and check the meat. Let the pressure release naturally, about 20–30 minutes. Only open when the indicator shows the pressure is gone — never force the lid. The meat should part easily with a fork. If it is still tough, cook another 5–10 minutes at high pressure.

8. 8.

   Remove the herbs and reduce the sauce. Lift out the rosemary sprig and bay leaves and remove the woody stem. Lift out the meat with a slotted spoon, start the sauté function and let the sauce cook uncovered for 10–20 minutes until it lightly coats the back of a spoon.

9. 9.

   Season and serve. Return the meat and let it simmer gently for 3–5 minutes. Adjust salt and pepper only once the sauce has reduced. Turn off the heat and stir in 10–15 g butter or a little olive oil if you like. Serve when the meat is piping hot.