I know it may sound I've gone a bit pressure cooker mad, but I've never had one before so it's like getting a new gadget to me. Since I've been using it I've been thinking of using a Beef Bourguignon recipe using the pressure cooker to cut the time down from the normal 5 hours.

As usual, I expect to be able to use cheap fatty cuts of beef, shin or something that normally tenderises due to the long cooking time. The pressure cooker 'should' do the same.

It did, I also stuck some potatoes in there, you can add carrots or other veg if you wish. I find it fun to vary what goes in as long as the Boeuf Bourguignon part is still there.

Calorie estimate from livestrong.com: 633 calories per portion of Boeuf Bourguignon

Ingredients - Pressure Cooker Beef Bourguignon (serves 4 small portions)

• 500 grams of stewing beef
• 50 grams of butter (or a good splash of oil)
• 4 small onions chopped (I tend to buy those 1kg bags of cheap small onions in the supermarket. They are cheap because they 'aren't the right size' – this maybe is a rant for the blog area)
• 2 or 3 cloves of garlic
• bottle of red wine (doesn't have to be expensive)
• Salt and pepper of course
• 4 medium to large potatoes peeled, left whole (medium sized)
• carrots if you want (peel & chop them)

Method - Pressure Cooker Beef Bourguignon

This is why I was so keen on making the dish in less time, it's sooo simple!!!

• Chop the onions and throw it in the open pressure cooker on the hob with a healthy nob of butter (or oil if you don't have any butter). You want these to soften but not brown.
• Chop the stewing meat into 2/3cm cubes removing any really tough fat, leave the thin slithers though. I tend to throw the bits into the pan as I'm chopping the beef to start cooking. This needs to brown as the onion softens. Finely chop your garlic, throw it in.
• Those three parts I've just listed, just do them one after another, no need to stop chopping. Chop and throw, chop and throw.
• Salt and pepper in the pot. Don't go overboard, you can't un-season food!
• When the beef is browned tip the bottle of wine in and bring to a simmer.
• When it simmers, close the lid and bring to pressure. My pressure cooker is a 7lb so I cooked it for 30 minutes initially. Whilst it is cooking on the first 30 minutes, peel your spuds (and carrots if using them). When 30 minutes has passed de-pressurise, remove the lid and chuck the vegetables in. Lid on and bring to pressure for another 45 minutes.
• After the time is up the Bourguignon should be ready. This will depend on the quality of meat and size of the potatoes too. Taste a bit to see if they are nice and soft, if not cook for another 15 minutes. I'm afraid this part is down to your own judgement as each time I cook this dish cooking times vary a little.
• When it's ready I simmer for a couple of minutes with the lid off to get rid of the boozy smell, then I serve straight away.

Hope it goes as well for you as it did me. No pictures I'm afraid as the kids needed feeding when I made it and didn't have time to take one. I'll update the article with a picture next time I make this.

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