Pressure Cooker Beef Barley Soup

Ingredients

• 2 pounds boneless beef chuck roast, cut into 1 1/2-inch steaks, or 3 pounds bone-in beef short ribs
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons canola oil, divided
• 4 large carrots, 3 diced and 1 left whole, divided
• 2 large yellow onions, 1 diced and 1 halved, divided
• 3 celery ribs, 2 diced and 1 left whole, divided
• 4 medium cloves garlic
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 2 quarts homemade or store-bought low-sodium chicken stock
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 cup pearled barley
• 1/2 teaspoon Asian fish sauce, optional
• 8 ounces frozen sweet peas

Directions

1. Sprinkle the beef with salt and pepper. Set a pressure cooker over high heat with 1 tablespoon (15ml) oil, and heat it until it just begins to smoke. Add the beef, in batches if the pot is crowded, and brown it thoroughly, turning now and then, about 5 minutes per side. Move the beef to a large platter.
2. Add the diced carrot, diced onion, and diced celery to the pressure cooker. Cook, stirring and loosening the browned bits on the bottom, until the vegetables pick up a little color, about 6 minutes. Spoon them into a heatproof bowl and set them aside.
3. Pour the remaining 1 tablespoon (15ml) oil into the pressure cooker and warm it over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Add the remaining whole carrot, halved onion, whole celery rib, and garlic, then cook, stirring from time to time, until they are browned in places, about 4 minutes. Pour in the wine and cook, scraping the bottom of the pot as it heats, until the wine simmers and the sharp alcohol aroma fades, about 4 minutes.
4. Add the stock, thyme, bay leaf, reserved beef with any juices from the platter, and barley to the pressure cooker; the liquid should barely cover everything in the pot. Seal the cooker, bring it up to high pressure, and cook for 30 minutes. Use the pressure release valve to release the pressure.
5. Take out the beef, remove and discard the bones, which should slip out easily, and cut the meat into bite-size pieces. Add the meat back to the pot. Discard the thyme sprigs, the large vegetable pieces and garlic cloves, and the bay leaf. Stir in the reserved diced vegetables and the fish sauce, if you’re using it. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Add the peas and cook just until they are heated through. Serve.