Mince or Hamburger stew in the Pressure Cooker, dinner on the table with one pan and 15 mins of pressure.

I  have certain dishes that are my comfort zone motherlodes.  I need the flavor, texture and smells of my mother's kitchen.  Mince is one of those meals, actually it's probably THE meal.  I love it, it's fast, easy and delicious.  Best of all, it reminds me of my mom and being cooked for and taken care of.

I had three 'playdays' in a row with girlfriends.  Not that I'm complaining about girlfriend playdates but as joyful it makes the soul, it exhausts the body.  I stood in the middle of the kitchen with a 1.3 lb pack of ground beef and knew I had no energy to be creative.  I wanted my mom to come cook for me and then I spied it....my pressure cooker....looking at me, smiling.  Ok, it wasn't actually smiling at me but I felt the love.

I've been making mince (hamburger stew to the locals) on the stovetop for a hundred years and didn't think to pressure cook it.  That's changed.  This is what I did and frankly, I'll never cook it stovetop again.  Wow, no hours of simmering to get the thick beefy veggie gravy, 15 at high pressure and we're there.  Get your pen and dig out the pressure cooker, we're making mince.

TRACY'S MINCEMEAT (OR HAMBURGER STEW) IN THE PRESSURE COOKER

*ok, technically it's my mom's :D

INGREDIENTS

1 lb +/- ground meat.  I use beef all the time but if you want something different, go for it.
1 onion, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
1 rib of celery, chopped
(any other root veggies you have, chopped, like rutabaga, parsnip, turnip, potatoes)
Bayleaf, fresh or dry
Worcestershire sauce
oil (or bacon fat)
handful of frozen peas
handful of frozen corn
salt, pepper
tomato paste (optional)
water
flour

INSTRUCTION AND METHOD

Fry up the meat and veggies (not frozen) in the pressure cooker till the meat is browned.  Add a little flour and fry it till the flour is dark and there's no loose oil/fat around in the pan. IF you are using a little tomato paste, add it with the flour and fry till dark. Add water to almost cover and scrape up the brown bits.  Add some worcestershire and drop in the bay leaf.

Lock and load, 15 minutes on high pressure.

Release immediately or leave it to come down on it's own, it doesn't matter.

Add the frozen veggies and stir.   Cook about 3 minutes.

If the mince is too loose, boil it down a little, if it's too dry, add a little water or stock :)

Season with salt and pepper.

Serve over mashed potatoes or in baked potatoes.  It takes a little meat a much longer way, use leftovers in pie or in a bowl.

PLAY BY PLAY PICS 

Throw the meat, carrots, celery and onion in the bowl of the pressure cooker, set to brown and fry it up.  When the meat is brown, sprinkle a little flour over it, fry till the meat is dry and there's little yummy brown bits to scrape up.

    

Add the bay leaf, water to almost cover and a little worcestershire sauce.  Lock and load, set for 15 mins, high pressure.

    

 Prepare the gargantuan potatoes.  I had baked potato (jacket potato), as a bowl for my mince, the gravy mixes into the potato, oh it's all kinds of good.

Release pressure if you're starving, leave it on warm if you're not.  Open and stir and check for seasoning, add salt and pepper.  If it's too thick, add water/stock and if it's too loose, boil it down for a few minutes.

Add a handful of frozen peas and frozen corn, shush it around a bit and leave about 3 mins to cook through. Taste for seasoning, add salt and pepper as you desire.

    

Random beauty shots... I love this stuff.  it's rib sticking, delicious and crazy comforting. 

  

Go make some and think of me and my mom :D 

/enjoy