Instant Pot Pulled Beef (Shredded Beef)

2.5 kg / 5.5 lbs beef chuck 1 tbsp (16g) table salt 1 tsp (5g) freshly ground black pepper 1 tbsp (15ml) high-temperature resistant oil 175 ml / 0.75 cup red wine 2 medium white onions 8 garlic cloves 500 ml / 2 cups beef stock 3 tbsp (45ml) Worcestershire sauce 3 tbsp (45ml) barbecue sauce 2 tbsp (30ml) tomato paste 0.25 tbsp (2g) dry oregano 0.5 tsp (2.5g) smoked paprika 4 bay leaves

1. Pat the beef chuck dry with paper towels and season generously on all sides with salt and freshly ground black pepper. 2. Heat the high-temperature resistant oil in a hot pan over medium-high heat. 3. Sear the beef chuck on all sides until a nice golden-brown crust forms. Remove the seared beef from the pan. 4. Pour the red wine into the hot pan to deglaze, scraping up all the flavourful browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Set aside. 5. Slice the white onions and garlic cloves. Place the sliced onions at the bottom of the Instant Pot to form a bed for the beef, then scatter the sliced garlic over them. 6. Add the beef stock, Worcestershire sauce, barbecue sauce, tomato paste, dry oregano, smoked paprika, and bay leaves to the Instant Pot. 7. Pour in the deglazed red wine from the pan. 8. Carefully place the seared beef chuck into the Instant Pot on top of the onions and pour in any remaining juices from the plate. Make sure the meat is fully submerged or mostly covered by the liquid. 9. Secure the lid and set the valve to Sealing. Pressure cook on High for 60 minutes. 10. Once cooking is complete, allow a full natural pressure release (about 20-30 minutes). Do not use quick release. 11. Carefully remove the beef chuck and transfer it to a bowl, saving all the cooking liquid. 12. Skim off some of the excess fat from the surface of the reserved cooking liquid, but leave a little for added flavour. 13. Using two forks, shred the tender beef apart in the bowl. It should easily pull apart. 14. Ladle 3 to 4 portions of the reserved cooking liquid over the shredded beef to keep it juicy and infused with rich flavour before serving. Pro Tip: Make sure the beef is mostly submerged in the liquid before pressure cooking — this ensures even cooking throughout the whole cut.

Converted from slow cooker to Instant Pot. Pressure cook 60 min + full natural release. Original slow cooker method failed — meat outside the liquid stayed tough. Instant Pot ensures full submersion and even cooking.