Pressure Cooker Perfected Pot Roast

Well this winter is certainly turning out to be the winter full of comfort food here in Ohio. Frigid cold days when I don't have much energy I'm always glad to count on my pressure cooker to turn out an incredible meal in a short amount of time. I've said it before, I truly think every single kitchen should have a pressure cooker, if you compare slow cooker food to the same meal cooked in a pressure cooker the pressure cooker meal will win every time, in about 7 hours less time too! Slow cookers aren't sealed so all that aroma that fills your home, is flavor leaving your food. The pressure cooker keeps all that goodness tucked inside and you'll be blown away when you're eating the best pot roast you've ever tasted in less than 2 hours. 

This pot roast recipe I adapted from Bob Warden's book Great Food Fast, it's melt-in-your-mouth pot roast, with tender vegetables, covered in sauce made from thickened cooking liquid, served with egg noodles to complete the dish. 

I hope you'll try this pressure cooker recipe soon! 

Serves 4-6, recipe adapted from Great Food Fast by Bob Warden

Step 1: Gather Ingredients

You'll need: 

1 (2-3lbs) beef chuck roast, (I trimmed large chunks of fat from the roast and cut it into four pieces) 
3 Tbsp. all-purpse flour
2 Tbsp. olive oil (plus 2 tsp. to saute onion and celery, optional) 
1 1/2 cups beef broth
1/4 cup dry red wine (I used Cabernet Sauvignon)
2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1 Tbsp. minced garlic
1 tsp. dried thyme
2 bay leaves
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
6 redskin potatoes (I used about 12)
1 yellow onion, (recipe says to wedge the onion, I diced it into 1/4-inch pieces)
2 cups baby carrots (I used 1 lb. bag)
2 ribs celery, cut into 1-inch lengths (I diced them into 1/4-inch pieces, same size as onion) 
1 Tbsp. cornstarch
2 Tbsp. water (Instead of water I used the cooking liquid)
3 Tbsp. unsalted butter

Step 2: Pressure Cook Roast

Sprinkle the chuck roast with flour that has been generously seasoned with salt and pepper.

With the pressure cooker lid off, heat oil on high (or brown) until sizzling.  Place floured roast in the cooker and brown on all sides (I did this in two batches, add the meat back from the first batch after the 2nd batch has browned.) 

Add beef broth, wine, vinegar, garlic, thyme, bay leaves, salt, and pepper to pressure cooker.  Lock lid and set for 75 minutes on high. (85 minutes for roasts thicker than 2.5 inches thick.) 

Step 3: Pressure Cook Vegetables

Optional step while roast cooks: the original recipe just adds raw onion and celery along with carrots and potatoes to the pressure cooker, I like to brown them first because browned food tastes good! Saute the diced onion and celery in 2 tsp. olive oil in a 10-inch skillet over medium heat until lightly browned. Remove from heat and set aside. 

Perform a quick release to release the cooker's pressure. Remove the roast and bay leaves from cooker and put on a large plate, discard bay leaves. (The meat should be fork tender, if it's not, you can leave it in the pressure cooker while the vegetables cook.)

Add the sauteed celery and onions, carrots, and potatoes to the pot, re-secure the cooker's lid, and set for 5 minutes on high. 

Let the cooker's pressure release naturally 10 minutes before quick releasing any remaining pressure. 

Step 4: Make Sauce, Serve, and Enjoy

While the vegetables are cooking I like to break the meat into bite-sized pieces, the meat will be so tender you could use a couple forks, I just did a few knife cuts and transferred to a bowl. 

Carefully transfer vegetables to serving dish using a slotted spoon, cover with foil. (If you like you can mix the meat and veggies, I let my family decide how much meat and veggies they wanted so I kept them separate.)

Set the pressure cooker on high, or brown, with lid off and whisk the cornstarch and water (as I said I used the cooking liquid) together until combined and smooth. Slowly whisk into the cooking liquid and let simmer for 2 minutes to thicken. Stir in the butter, taste and adjust for seasoning, turn the pressure cooker off, to the keep warm setting, or, if stovetop model, remove from heat, .  

Serve meat and vegetables over egg noodles and cover with sauce, enjoy!

Lastly, in our family, leftover pot roast means hash the next day, even better with poached eggs on top--two comfort dishes from one meal, delicious!