Pressure Cooker Mexican Beef
For the past couple of years, I’ve been making Oven Braised Mexican Beef at least twice a month because it’s simple and delicious—and because the kids’ll actually eat it. But here’s a dirty little secret: these days, I rarely braise it in the oven because I can get similar results in a fraction of the time using a pressure cooker. I’ve extolled the virtues of pressure cooking before, but it’s truly become one of my favorite cooking methods. My trusty stovetop pressure cookers have been workhorses in my kitchen for some time now, but I recently treated myself to an Instant Pot because I’d read so many great things about this electric programmable multi-cooker. Also: I’m a gadget hoarder. In fact, I’m such a hoarder that I’d neglected to break out my Instant Pot for months after buying it. It sat in a box in my garage for months before I managed to de-clutter my kitchen enough to make room for it. And now, I’m totally crushing on my Instant Pot. I love that I can make bone broth at a moment’s notice without having to babysit it like a stove-top pressure cooker. Also, the sauté function lets me brown aromatics or meat right in the pot before I throw in the rest of the ingredients. One thing to note: The Instant Pot cooks at a slightly lower pressure than my stovetop pressure cookers, but that just means having to add a few minutes to the cooking time. I increase the cooking time by 7 to 15%, and refer to my friend’s website and charts for specific cooking times. If you’re at all a fan of pressure cooking, I suggest that you do the same. One more thing: even though the dish is finished in about an hour, I often don’t serve it until the next day. There’s a scientific reason why stews and braises taste better as leftovers. So with all of that out of the way, wanna see how I’ve modified my Mexican Beef recipe to work in a pressure cooker?
For the past couple of years, I’ve been making Oven Braised Mexican Beef at least twice a month because it’s simple and delicious—and because the kids’ll actually eat it. But here’s a dirty little secret: these days, I rarely braise it in the oven because I can get similar results in a fraction of the time using a pressure cooker. I’ve extolled the virtues of pressure cooking before, but it’s truly become one of my favorite cooking methods. My trusty stovetop pressure cookers have been workhorses in my kitchen for some time now, but I recently treated myself to an Instant Pot because I’d read so many great things about this electric programmable multi-cooker. Also: I’m a gadget hoarder. In fact, I’m such a hoarder that I’d neglected to break out my Instant Pot for months after buying it. It sat in a box in my garage for months before I managed to de-clutter my kitchen enough to make room for it. And now, I’m totally crushing on my Instant Pot. I love that I can make bone broth at a moment’s notice without having to babysit it like a stove-top pressure cooker. Also, the sauté function lets me brown aromatics or meat right in the pot before I throw in the rest of the ingredients. One thing to note: The Instant Pot cooks at a slightly lower pressure than my stovetop pressure cookers, but that just means having to add a few minutes to the cooking time. I increase the cooking time by 7 to 15%, and refer to my friend’s website and charts for specific cooking times. If you’re at all a fan of pressure cooking, I suggest that you do the same. One more thing: even though the dish is finished in about an hour, I often don’t serve it until the next day. There’s a scientific reason why stews and braises taste better as leftovers. So with all of that out of the way, wanna see how I’ve modified my Mexican Beef recipe to work in a pressure cooker?
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- freshly ground black pepper
- 2 1/2 pounds boneless beef short ribs beef brisket,â or beef chuck roast cut into 11/2- to 2-inch cubes
- 11/2 teaspoons kosher salt (diamond crystal brand)
- 1 tablespoon ghee or fat of choice
- 1 medium onion thinly sliced
- 6 each garlic cloves peeled and smashed
- 1/2 cup roasted tomato salsa (like the salsa roja asada fr
- 1/2 cupâ bone broth
- 1/2 teaspoonâ red boat fish sauce
- 1/2 cup minced cilantro (optional)
- 2 radishes, thinly sliced (optional)
- Carbohydrate 1.12018606264228 g
- Cholesterol 62.368950875 mg
- Fat 17.0625450263551 g
- Fiber 0.215575624429576 g
- Protein 18.4021254689893 g
- Saturated Fat 6.86789699997665 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Recipe (98g)
- Sodium 63.5630477971959 mg
- Sugar 0.904610438212701 g
- Trans Fat 2.23004877012081 g
- Calories 236 calories
Step-by-step
- The process is pretty much the same regardless of whether you use a stove-top pressure cooker or an electric one. The only difference is that your cooking time under high pressure will be slightly shorter with the stove top cooker than with an electric cooker (e.g. 30 minutes vs. 35 minutes).
- In a large bowl, combine cubed beef, chili powder, and salt.
- Press the Sauté button on your Instant Pot and add the ghee to the cooking insert. Once the fat's melted, add the onions…
- and sauté until translucent.
- (If you’re using a stove top pressure cooker, melt the fat over medium heat and sauté the onions.)
- Stir in the tomato paste and garlic, and cook for 30 seconds or until fragrant.
- Toss in the seasoned beef…
- …and pour in the salsa, stock, and fish sauce.
- Cover and lock the lid and press the Keep Warm/Cancel button on the Instant Pot. Press the Meat/Stew button to switch to the pressure cooking mode. If your cubes are smaller than mine, you can press the minus button to decrease the cooking time from the preset 35 minutes. Once the pot is programmed, walk away.
- (If you're using a stove-top pressure cooker, you won't have all those buttons to press. Just cook on high heat until high pressure is reached. Then, reduce the heat to low to maintain high pressure for about 30 minutes.)
- When the stew is finished cooking, the Instant Pot will switch automatically to a “Keep Warm” mode. If you’re using a stove-top pressure cooker instead, remove the pot from the heat. In either case, let the pressure release naturally (~15 minutes).
- Unlock the lid and season to taste with salt and pepper.
- At this point, you can plate and serve—or store the beef in the fridge for up to 4 days and reheat right before serving.
- When you’re ready to eat, top the hot stew with cilantro and radishes if you’ve got ‘em.
Why is the meat still tough even after the timer went off? Halfway through a braise, that question usually means the cut of beef was sliced too thin or the pressure never fully built inside the vessel. Getting fork-tender results from chuck roast or short ribs requires respecting both the mechanics of sealed cooking and the structural integrity of the muscle fibers.
- Cut the beef into uniform 1.5- to 2-inch cubes so the heat penetrates the center of every piece at the exact same rate.
- Brown the aromatics thoroughly in the integrated sauté pan insert before locking the lid, building a foundational layer of caramelized flavor that boiling alone cannot achieve.
- Adjust cooking durations based on your appliance type, noting that electric multi-cookers generally operate at lower pounds per square inch than stovetop models and require roughly 5 to 10 extra minutes under pressure.
- Allow for a 15-minute natural pressure release instead of forcing a quick release, which prevents the moisture from forcefully boiling out of the meat fibers and leaving them dry.
- Test doneness by pressing a piece of beef against the side of the pot with a fork; it should yield and shred completely with zero resistance rather than bouncing back.
- Store the finished stew in the refrigerator for up to 4 days, where the collagen continues to rest and absorb the surrounding aromatic braising liquid.
Letting the completed dish sit overnight allows the gelatinized proteins to set more firmly around the savory salsa and bone broth reduction. Reheating the leftovers gently on the stove restores the supple texture of the beef before it reaches the table.
