Instant Pot HK Borscht Soup

A. Dump & Start Method:

1. Cut beef shank into bite-size pieces. Add all the ingredients in Instant Pot, then jump straight to "Step 4: Deglaze" below. This method will still be tasty! :)

B. Flavor Enhancing Method:

1. Brown Beef Shank: Heat up Instant Pot using Sauté More function. Pat dry, then generously season one side of the beef shank with salt + black pepper. Drizzle inner pot with 1 tbsp olive oil. Then, brown the seasoned side of beef shank in Instant Pot. Season the other side of beef shank with more salt + black pepper. *Pro Tip: Brown the two sides of Beef Shank in Instant Pot for 5 minutes per side.
2. Saute Onions & Vegetables: Rest browned beef shank on a chopping board. Add sliced onions in Instant Pot, then saute until soften (roughly 3 minutes). Add crushed garlic, celery chunks, carrot chunks, 2 bay leaves, 1 tsp (4g) paprika, and 3 tbsp (45ml) tomato paste in Instant Pot. Saute for another 2 minutes. Then, add in quartered tomatoes.
3. Cut Beef Shank: While the onions are being sauteed, cut beef shank into bite-size pieces.
4. Deglaze: Pour in 1 cup (250ml) unsalted chicken stock or high-quality beef stock, then deglaze by scrubbing all the flavorful brown bits off the bottom of the pot. Give it a quick mix.
5. Pressure Cook HK Borscht Soup: Add beef shank pieces back in Instant Pot. Don't forget all the meat juice! Pour in 4 cups (1L) unsalted chicken stock or high-quality beef stock. Layer the potato chunks + cabbage pieces on top. Pressure Cook at High Pressure for 12 minutes + Full Natural Release.
6. Thicken & Season: Use Saute function to bring the soup to a boil. Give the soup a few quick stirs with a ladle to break up the potatoes, then let it boil for another 5 minutes. You can also add some cornstarch + water mixture in the soup. Taste and season the soup with more salt + paprika if desired (For Reference: we added ~1 tbsp Salt + few more tsp Paprika here). *Pro Tip (Optional): add 1 tbsp Fish Sauce for an extra layer of flavor.  ;)