Brazilian Meal Prep Sunday — Pressure Cooker Maminha
Your Sunday cook that carries the whole week. Tender, juicy Brazilian-style beef with a rich, thick sauce — ready in under an hour and perfect for meal prep containers. Make once, eat all week.
Servings: 4 | Prep: 15 min | Cook: 55 min | Total: ~1h10
Ingredients
- 730g maminha beef (tri-tip or rump cap), whole piece
- 1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced (0.5 cm)
- 1 onion, thinly sliced into half-moons
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tbsp white wine vinegar
- 1 cup water
- 2 tbsp olive oil (divided)
- 2 tsp cornstarch
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 3 fresh rosemary sprigs
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Season the beef all over with smoked paprika, 1 tsp salt, and black pepper. Leave the meat at room temperature while you prep the remaining ingredients.
- Peel and slice the onion into thin half-moons. Dice the red bell pepper into 0.5 cm cubes. Finely chop the garlic.
- Heat the pressure cooker (without the lid) over medium heat. Add 1 tbsp olive oil and place the beef in the pot. Sear for about 4 minutes on each side until deeply golden. Don’t rush this step — the crust is where the flavor lives.
- Transfer the seared beef to a plate. Add remaining 1 tbsp olive oil to the pot. Add onion, bell pepper, garlic, tomato paste, and Worcestershire sauce. Season with a pinch of salt and saute for 1 minute.
- Pour in the vinegar and water, scraping the bottom of the pot to dissolve all the caramelized bits — that’s pure flavor. Add rosemary leaves, return the beef to the pot, seal the lid, and increase to high heat.
- Once the valve starts whistling, reduce to low heat and cook for 40 minutes. Turn off the heat and wait for all pressure to release naturally before opening the lid.
- Transfer the beef to a cutting board. Dissolve the cornstarch with 2 tbsp of the cooking liquid, then stir back into the remaining sauce. Return the pot to medium heat and stir for about 2 minutes until the sauce thickens slightly.
- Slice the beef against the grain and serve with the sauce poured over the top. Pairs perfectly with white rice, farofa, and vinagrete.
Chef Pinto’s Meal Prep Tips
- Slice the beef, divide into containers with rice, beans, and vinagrete — you’ve got 4 to 5 lunches ready to go.
- The sauce thickens even more as it cools. It’s incredible reheated the next day.
- To freeze: store sliced beef with sauce in airtight containers. Shelf life: 3 months. Reheat from frozen in a covered pan with a splash of water.
- Can’t find maminha? Tri-tip or rump cap are the closest cuts.