Showing off Pressure Cooker

One of the best things I brought back from Brazil was a 3-litre pressure cooker my mum got me. It's the perfect size for two people and yet, should the need arise, it can hold enough food for six.

On my birthday I thought about having take away tapas but when we came back from the cinema I changed my mind and decided that what would really warm me up was a good, honest, old-fashioned pot roast. We stopped at the supermarket and bought a few carrots, 400grms of bourgignon meat (which is just plain stew meat) a couple onions, and 2 medium potatoes each.

I seasoned the meat with some cider vinegar and a mix of garlic/onion/salt/parsley (which can be dehydrated)/black pepper and rubbed it in the meat. I left it to rest while I chopped the onion, peeled the carrots, halved the potatoes, and opened the wine.

Browned the meat in very hot vegetable oil (not olive oil here though), added 2 whole bay leaves, and covered the meat with boiling water* and a little more. Left it on medium heat for 20mins, turned the gas off, let the pressure cooker release the pressure by itself- the meat carries on cooking; added the carrots, but not the potatoes. These were boiled separately, as they tend to turn to mush when added to pressure cookers, making the sauce too thick. If you want that, go for it, it's just as good!

Once the carrots were in, I left it for another 5mins counting from when the valve started to turn again.

Without the pressure cooker

Pretty much the same thing, except you'll need to cook the meat for at least an hour and a half in order to get the same texture (that is, melting in mouth). I know US meat is softer, so maybe you won't need that long. The important thing is that the water is hot and that there is enough salt, otherwise it tastes really unpleasant.

Serve it piping hot over the potatoes or simply with some crusty bread. A full-bodied red wine is best with this dish, in my opinion.

*The water must be hot otherwise the meat hardens.