Mixed Mammal Stew: Beef, Lamb, and Pork in One Pressure Cooker

Some food names sound perfectly normal, and others make people stop and ask questions.

When I mentioned to a workmate that I was making a mixed mammal stew, the reaction was immediate. She was horrified. “Mixed mammal stew?” I thought she might ask if I had collected random creatures from a zoölogical garden and thrown them into a pressure cooker. That said, I have seen room-sized autoclaves used to sterilise large animals before exiting a high-containment facility.

The name sounds strange, but the reality is rather ordinary. After all, a mixed grill often contains beef steak, lamb chops, bacon, and eggs on the same plate. Sausages, meatloaf, and various European dishes regularly combine beef, lamb, and pork. Calling it “mixed mammal stew” highlights what is already there.

In this case, the stew combined chunks of beef chuck, lamb leg, and pork belly cooked under pressure with passata and some reserved cooking liquor from previous pressure-cooking sessions. Those earlier cooks included vegetables such as fennel, brown onion, and celery, so the cooking liquid carried their accumulated flavours. Although the vegetables had long since disappeared, their essence remained in the stock.

The result was a rich stew with tender pieces of three different meats. The beef contributed body, the lamb added its distinctive flavour, and the pork belly provided fat and gelatine.

Over several meals I served the stew in different ways. I paired one bowl with Hokkien noodles. I served other meals with rye sourdough toast, buttered twice in the style popularised by Nigella Lawson. The toast absorbed the cooking juices beautifully, making for a satisfying accompaniment.

Here are a few ways I ate the mixed mammal stew.

Mixed Mammal Stew Recipe

Serves

6 to 8 portions

Equipment

• Pressure cooker
• Chopping board
• Sharp knife
• Measuring jug
• Wooden spoon spatula
• Serving bowls or plates
• Ingredients
• For the stew
• 500 g beef chuck, cut into large cubes
• 500 g lamb leg, cut into large cubes
• 500 g pork belly, cut into chunks
• 500 mL passata
• 500 to 750 mL reserved pressure-cooker cooking liquor or stock
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper

For serving

Option 1

• Cooked Hokkien noodles
• Finely chopped chives
• Freshly cracked black pepper
• Butter

Option 2

• Rye sourdough bread
• Butter for double-buttering
• Finely chopped chives
• Freshly cracked black pepper

Instructions

1. Place the beef chuck, lamb leg, and pork belly into the pressure cooker.
2. Pour in the passata and cooking liquor.
3. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Stir gently to combine.
5. Secure the lid and cook on high pressure for 45 minutes.
6. Allow the pressure to release naturally for 15 to 20 minutes before venting any remaining pressure.
7. Open the lid and stir the stew.
8. If the liquid is thinner than desired, simmer with the lid off until reduced to your preferred consistency.

To serve with Hokkien noodles

1. Cook the noodles according to the packet instructions.
2. Divide the noodles between bowls.
3. Ladle the mixed mammal stew over the noodles.
4. Add a knob of butter.
5. Finish with chopped chives and freshly cracked black pepper.

To serve with double-buttered rye sourdough toast

1. Toast thick slices of rye sourdough.
2. Butter the toast while hot.
3. Allow the butter to melt into the bread.
4. Spread a second layer of butter on top.
5. Serve alongside the stew with chopped chives and black pepper.

Thoughts

This stew began as a practical exercise in using what was available. It used beef chuck, lamb leg, and pork belly that needed cooking, plus some valuable cooking liquor left over from previous pressure-cooker sessions.

One advantage of keeping flavourful cooking liquid is that each batch contributes to the next. Fennel, onion, celery, and tomato notes gradually accumulate and create a deeper base than plain stock or water.

The stew may have an unusual name, but it’s conceptually no different from many dishes that combine multiple meats. Calling it mixed mammal stew makes the biology more obvious.

Whether served with noodles or thick slices of double-buttered rye sourdough, it was an enjoyable way to stretch one batch of pressure-cooked meat across several meals.