Pressure Cooker Beef Stock

By EdieK

You no longer need to spend hours on end in the kitchen to make a good beef stock. With a new generation pressure cooker, you can make a fine beef stock in 1 hour. Refrigerate it or freeze it to have it on hand for a quick soup or sauce base. You can freeze the stock in a variety of amounts for use at a later time: one-third cup (80 ml), one cup (250 ml) or other sizes.

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon (15 ml) olive oil
• 2 lb (900 g) stewing beef, such as shanks,
• cut in 1 inch (25 mm) cubes
• 1 lb (450 g) beef bones
• 8 cups (1.9 l) water
• 1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
• 1 large carrot, scraped and coarsely chopped 1 bay leaf
• Salt to taste
• 6 peppercorns or 1/4 teaspoon (1 ml) ground
• black pepper
• 1 celery stalk, coarsely chopped
• 2 sprigs parsley
• 1/2 teaspoon (2.5 ml) thyme

Preparation

Step 1

Heat the oil in the pressure cooker until very hot, then add the beef and the bones—as much as comfortably fits at one time—and cook until well browned. Remove and place on platter. Drain off any excess fat.

Add the remaining ingredients. Lock the lid in place and bring to pressure, then lower heat and cook for suggested time. Allow pressure to drop by the natural release method [1], remove the lid and strain by pouring it through a strainer which has been lined with a couple of layers of damp cheesecloth. Press with the back of a wooden spoon to extract as much liquid as possible. Cool, then refrigerate overnight and remove any congealed fat that has collected on the surface.

Suggested time for fast 15 psi pressure cookers: Cook for 60 minutes on high pressure.