Fast & Easy Pot Roast, made in a Pressure Cooker

If you enjoy Pot Roast, but don’t have time to braise all day, this easy recipe gives you a succulent version after only one hour of cooking.  You will, however, need a pressure cooker to achieve this. (If you don’t have a pressure cooker, you can use all the same ingredients and preparation, then either slow braise in a lidded heavy pot in your oven; or put in your slow cooker.  The “long” version takes about 4 hours of braising time.)

Ingredients:

• One 3-4 Pound Bone in Chuck Roast or Arm Pot Roast
• Olive Oil
• Salt and Pepper, plus Red Pepper Flakes if you like Spicy
• 12- 16 Ounces of Diced Onions – so one BIG or two SMALLER
• 3 Medium Carrots, Diced
• 3 Celery Stalks, Diced
• 4-6 Cloves of Garlic, Whole
• 1/2-1 Cup Red Wine
• Quarter Cup Soy Sauce
• Quarter Cup Worcester Sauce
• 1/4 Cup Fresh Thyme Leaves (stripped from stalks) or 1 Tbls Dried Thyme Leaves
• Fresh or Dried Oregano to taste
• 2 Bay Leaves
• Whatever Other Spice and/or Herb your palate enjoys
• (If you want to go in a more Italian direction, you can add tomato paste as well.)

Preparation:

1. Thaw Chuck Roast or Arm Pot Roast.  Once thawed, thoroughly dry your meat using paper towels and place in a shallow pan.
2. Salt and Pepper the Beef.
3. Prep the Veggies
4. Heat Olive Oil in the pan in which you intend to cook the meat. If the roast is bigger than the pan, you can sear in a larger skillet.  But it is important to deglaze the skillet and get all the yummies into the pressure cooker.  Once oil is spitting hot, sear the meat on all sides.  Remove meat from pan and set aside.
5. In the same pan as you seared the meat, add more olive oil, then the onions, carrots and celery. Stir on medium high until veggies are tenderized and juice from veggies is starting to lift the meat sear off the pan.  Add garlic and red pepper flakes and herbs of your choosing.
   1. If you are cooking/searing in a pan other than the pressure cooker, transfer veggies/herbs to the pressure cooker. Then use about a half to one cup of red wine to deglaze the skillet.  Pour wine and juices into pressure cooker with veggies.
   2. OR, if you’ve cooked the meat and veggies directly in the pressure cooker, you can simply add the wine to the pot.
6. Add a healthy dash of Worchestershire Sauce and Soy Sauce.
7. Nestle the seared roast into the veggies, etc, in the pressure cooker. You should have about 1-2 inches of liquid in the bottom of the pressure cooker.
8. Seal Pressure Cooker, bring up to pressure, and cook on HIGH for 45 minutes. Then turn off heat and allow pressure to cool and depressurize on it’s own.
9. Once you are able to safely open pressure cooker, remove roast and place on platter. When cool enough to handle, slice for serving.
10. Some people like to strain the slurry that remains in the pot before serving. I just serve with all the mushy vegetables.  Use the juice as sauce.

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Fast & Easy Pot Roast, made in a Pressure Cooker

Author: Constance Young