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Instant Pot Mexican Beef and Tomatillo Stew (Entomatado de Res). A traditional Mexican stew, adapted for the pressure cooker.
I bumped into this recipe in Christopher Kimball's Milk Street Magazine, where they adapted a classic Mexican stew from Tu Casa Mi Casa by chef Enrique Olver.
I can see why Mexican home cooks love this combination of sweet beef, tart tomatillos, starchy potatoes, and spicy jalapeños. They go together really, really well.
I worried this would be too much for my kids - a tomatillo stew seemed like trouble. But they loved it as much as I did. I’ve always said that tortillas are my family’s comfort food, even though we’re from the suburbs of Northeastern Ohio. Turns out, authentic Mexican comfort food works for them, too.
This recipe may seem exotic, but it’s a straightforward beef and potato stew. The only real trick is the size of the beef cubes; 1-inch cubes keep the pressure cooking time short, short enough that whole new potatoes do not overcook.
Looking for some pressure cooked comfort from the interior of Mexico, no matter where you are?1 Try this Instant Pot beef and tomatillo stew.
Recipe: Instant Pot Mexican Beef and Tomatillo Stew (Entomatado de Res)
Adapted from: Mexican Beef and Tomatillo Stew (Entomatado de Res) by Enrique Oliver and Albert Stumm in Milk Street Magazine
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Instant Pot Mexican Beef and Tomatillo Stew (Entomatado de Res)
- Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Yield: 6-8 servings 1x
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 3 pounds beef chuck roast, cut into 1-inch cubes
- ¾ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 large onion, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, smashed
- 1 jalapeno, minced
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 cup homemade beef broth, or store bought broth, or water
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt (if not using store-bought broth)
- 10 tomatillos (about 1 pound), husked, rinsed, and quartered
- 1 pound baby Yukon gold potatoes (or baby red potatoes)
Toppings and sides
- Jalapeño slices
- Toasted pumpkin seeds
- Chopped cilantro
- Tortillas
Instructions
- Sear the beef on one side in three batches: Heat the vegetable oil in an instant pot or other electric pressure cooker on the Sauté setting until the oil shimmers and just starts to smoke. (medium heat for a stovetop PC). While the pot heats, sprinkle the beef cubes with ¾ teaspoon salt. Sear the beef in three batches; add ⅓ of the beef to the pot and sear until well browned on one side, about 3 minutes. (Don’t crowd the pot or the beef will steam, not brown). Remove the browned beef to a bowl, add the second batch of the beef to the pot, and sear until browned on one side, about 3 more minutes. Remove the browned beef to the bowl and brown the last batch of beef, , about 3 more minutes, moving it to the bowl when done.
- Saute the aromatics: Add the onion, garlic, and jalapeno to the pot, and sprinkle with the oregano, cumin, and ½ teaspoon salt. Sauté until the onions soften, about 5 minutes, scraping the bottom of the pot occasionally to loosen any browned bits of beef. Stir in the beef and any juices in the bowl, then pour in the beef broth. Scrape the bottom of the pot one last time, to make sure nothing is sticking. Stir in the tomatillos, then spread the potatoes on top.
- Pressure cook for 15 minutes with a natural pressure release: Lock the lid on the pressure cooker and pressure cook at high pressure for 15 minutes in an Instant Pot or other electric PC, or for 12 minutes in a stovetop PC. (Use "Manual" or "Pressure Cook" mode in an Instant Pot.) When the cooking time finishes, let the pressure come down naturally, about 20 more minutes. (After 20 minutes you can quick release any remaining pressure if you are in a hurry.)
- Season, thicken, and serve: Unlock the pressure cooker lid. Scoop out four of the potatoes, roughly mash them with a fork, then stir them back into the stew to thicken. To serve, fill a bowl with stew, top with a few jalapeño slices, and sprinkle with pumpkin seeds and minced cilantro. Pass tortillas at the table to dip in the stew, and enjoy!
Notes
- I sear the beef on one side to balance flavor (a browned crust adds a lot of flavor to the stew) with speed (one side of the cube is a lot quicker than browning the whole cube)
- Leftovers make a great taco filling; strain out some of the liquid, refrigerate (for a few days) or freeze (for up to 6 months), then reheat and serve wrapped in
- If you can’t find fresh tomatillos, substitute a pound of canned tomatillos - about half of a 28oz can.
- For a little smoky heat, replace the jalapeno in the onions with a chipotle en adobo.
Tools
- 6 quart or larger pressure cooker (I love my Instant Pot electric pressure cooker)
- Flat edged wooden spoon
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 60 minutes
- Category: Sunday Dinner
- Method: Pressure Cooker
- Cuisine: Mexican
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What do you think?
Questions? Other ideas? Leave them in the comments section below.
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My other Instant Pot Pressure Cooker Recipes
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- To paraphrase Terry Pratchett: I’m so far from interior Mexico that I have wrapped around and am approaching it from the other side. (Though I do still need to get back to Oaxaca. Or maybe the Yucatan. Or Guanajuanto. OK, maybe I just need to go, and worry about the details later.) ↩
Quarto says
Hot diggedy dang this was good. Made as suggested with the exception of a few cut up larger russets rather than the baby potatoes listed. Baby taters would have been better but this was still nearly perfect… rich but not heavy at all.
Mike Vrobel says
Thank you!
Margaret says
Had some stew beef and tomatillos to use up, and a search brought me to this recipe. It was delicious! Thanks!
Mike Vrobel says
You’re welcome!
Rietta says
This was outstanding. Deceptively complex flavors from a pretty simple recipe. I chose to use two pounds of beef but kept the rest of the proportions as called for in the recipe. That worked well and didn't feel skimpy on the beef. Will be making this again, thank you!
Michele says
Delicious. I made it on the stovetop and served it with sour cream. Great way to use up tomatillos from the garden.
Mike Vrobel says
Glad you enjoyed it!