Pressure Cooker Pot Roast

I love our pressure cooker - it amazes me how quickly you can cook with it. Here is a fantastic website for pressure cooking (and if you're like I was, you may be scared of using it - I was sure it would blow its top and wreak serious havoc in our kitchen - but it didn't!).

Pot Roast with Vegetables


Serves 6

3 1/4 lb (1.5 kg) chuck or round roast, trimmed of excess fat
4 tablespoons (60 ml) vegetable oil
Salt and pepper
1 cup (250 ml) onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup (125 ml) carrot, finely chopped
1/2 cup (125 ml) celery, finely chopped
1/2 cup (125 ml) parsnip or turnip, finely chopped
2 1/2 cups (625 ml) beef stock 2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon (5 ml) dried thyme
(I added several garlic cloves)

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1 lb (450 g) medium-size red potatoes, scrubbed and quartered
3 large-size carrots, peeled and cut into 5 or 6 chunks
3 large-size parsnips, peeled and cut into 5 or 6 chunks ( didn't use these)

Directions:

Roast: Heat 3 tablespoons oil in pressure cooker over high heat. Add meat and brown well on all sides lifting meat frequently with long wooden spoon to prevent sticking—about 2 to 3 minutes per side. Add extra oil as needed. Season each side with salt and pepper (use less if using canned stock or bouillon). Remove meat to platter and set aside.

In blackened oil remaining in pressure cooker, sauté the chopped onion, carrot, celery, and parsnip for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Scrape any browned bits from bottom of cooker. Add beef stock, bay leaves, and dried thyme. Set trivet in cooker and place meat on it, broad side down, so that as much surface as possible submerges.

Lock lid into place and bring to pressure, then lower heat and cook for the suggested time. Allow pressure to drop by the natural release method for 15 minutes.

Suggested time for 15 psi pressure cookers: Cook for 60 minutes on high pressure.

When pot roast is done, it should be easy to pierce with a fork. If it is not sufficiently tender, lock lid back in place and heat to high pressure for another 5 minutes, then let pressure drop naturally. Transfer to platter and set aside in warm place. Remove trivet from cooker.

Vegetables: Place potatoes, carrot chunks, and parsnip chunks in cooker. Lock lid into place and bring to pressure, then lower heat and cook for suggested time. Allow pressure to drop by the quick release method or automatic release method.

Suggested time for 15 psi pressure cookers: Cook for 5 minutes on high pressure. (**my variation - I just did a quick-release when the meat had 5 minutes to go, popped the veggies in and brought it back up to pressure for 5 minutes.)

Gravy: Mash 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour into 2 tablespoons softened unsalted butter. Over high heat, gradually whisk flour-butter mixture into liquid in cooker. Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens - 3 to 4 minutes. Remove bay leaves and season to taste.