Pressure Cooker Swiss Steak
Submitted by GONICH
Pressure cooker Swiss steak braises chuck cubes with tomatoes, onion, garlic, celery, and bell pepper into fork-tender beef in a rich tomato gravy. Ready in 30 minutes instead of 3 hours.
YIELD
4 servingsPREP
10 minCOOK
20 minREADY
30 minSwiss steak is a classic American pot roast that traditionally takes 2 to 3 hours of slow braising on the stove. The pressure cooker version cuts the cooking time to under 30 minutes while still delivering the silky, fall-apart texture that makes the dish worth craving. The high pressure forces the cooking liquid into the meat, breaking down collagen at warp speed.
Despite the name, Swiss steak isn’t Swiss at all. It’s American comfort food named for the cooking technique called swissing, which involves pounding or rolling tough cuts to tenderize them. Cubing the chuck and pressure cooking accomplishes the same goal without the elbow grease.
Browning the beef cubes hard before pressuring is essential. The Maillard reaction creates flavor compounds you cannot get from pressure cooking alone. Take your time and brown all sides, working in batches if needed to avoid crowding.
The vegetable mixture (onion, garlic, celery, and red bell pepper) breaks down completely during the pressure cook, melting into the tomato gravy. By the time the steam releases, you have a rich, vegetable-thickened sauce without ever adding flour or cornstarch.
Use chuck roast, not round or sirloin. Chuck has the marbling and connective tissue needed to break down into tenderness during pressure cooking. Lean cuts will turn dry and stringy under high pressure.
Pro Tips
- Use whole canned tomatoes, not diced. They release more flavor and break down more naturally during cooking.
- Allow natural pressure release for 10 minutes before quick-releasing. This keeps the meat tender instead of seizing up.
- Reduce the gravy on the stovetop after cooking if it’s too thin. Pressure cookers don’t evaporate liquid the way open simmering does.
- Serve over mashed potatoes, egg noodles, or the unusual but delightful baked macaroni and cheese the recipe author suggests.
Variations
- Add ½ cup red wine to the cooking liquid for a deeper, richer gravy.
- Stir in a tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce or balsamic vinegar at the end for tang.
- Add 8 ounces sliced mushrooms with the other vegetables for an earthy variation.
Ingredients
Directions
Put 2 tablespoons of oil into a very hot pressure cooker pot. Braise the beef cubes on all sides until well browned.
Add the rest of the ingredients and stir once to distribute ingredients evenly in pot. Place lid on pressure cooker tightly. Put pressure regulator weight in place. Leave heat under cooker on high until the weight begins to jiggle. Lower heat immediately to a level that keeps the weight just barely moving.
Time from this point on for 20 to 25 minutes (depending on the grade of meat).
Remove pot from heat and cool. Open the lid and stir gently.
Check the consistency of the gravy. If it is too thin, raise the heat to high and reduce to the desired thickness. If it is too thick, add a little water.
My family especially likes this dish served over baked macaroni and cheese with a side dish of peas, saut?ed with onions and pine nuts.
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