Braised Beef with Tomatoes & Herbs

This is the pressure cooker trick that compresses a Sunday afternoon braise into a Tuesday weeknight dinner. Three pounds of chuck cubes get the full Provence treatment with red wine, canned tomatoes, mushrooms, garlic, and a pinch of saffron, then high pressure breaks down the connective tissue in 25 minutes flat. The same dish would take 3 hours in a Dutch oven.

Don’t skip the browning step. Even though the pressure cooker takes care of the cooking, that initial sear in nearly smoking olive oil builds the deep, caramelized fond that gives the finished stew its richness. Skip the brown and you’ll get a pale, watery braise.

Dredging the meat with flour after browning is a clever shortcut. The flour blooms in the oil left in the pot, then thickens the wine and tomato liquid into a glossy, clinging gravy as it cooks. Stuffed green olives bring a briny, salty pop that breaks up the richness, while a pinch of saffron adds the unmistakable Mediterranean perfume.

Chef Tips

• Trim chuck of large fat caps but leave intermuscular fat. It melts during cooking and bastes the meat.
• Brown in batches if your pot is crowded. Steaming meat won’t develop the fond you need.
• Use a dry red wine; a cooking wine that’s too sweet throws off the savory balance.
• Let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes before opening. A fast release shocks the meat and toughens it.

Variations

• Add a strip of orange peel with the herbs for a Daube Provençale-style stew.
• Substitute Kalamata olives for green for a deeper, fruitier brine flavor.
• Stir in a handful of fresh basil at the end for a brighter herb finish.
• Serve over polenta, pappardelle, or crusty bread to catch the gravy.