Tender pot roast with a delicious Italian spin in the Instant Pot! This was great on the night I made it and was even tastier for lunch sandwiches throughout the week. I went simple for the side dish and just whipped up a bunch of roasted veggies in the oven while the beef cooked: bell peppers, grape tomatoes, and baby bella mushrooms seasoned with salt and pepper and a big drizzle of olive – cooked in a 425° oven for 20 minutes, tossed, then 20 more.
Instant Pot Duo 6 Quart:
Today’s Ingredients:
4 lb beef chuck roast, trimmed and cut into 2-3 pieces to fit into the pot
salt & pepper, to season
2-4 TB olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
3 celery ribs, chopped
2 large carrots, chopped
6 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup red wine
2 TB tomato paste
½ TB red pepper flakes
1 TB Italian seasoning
2 bay leaves
28 oz diced tomatoes (fire-roasted are the tastiest!)
3 TB cornstarch + 3 TB water
fresh basil, chopped
Instructions:
1. Season the beef with salt and pepper on one side. You could flip and season both sides now, but it’s just as easy to season the other side as you go along in cooking and flipping.
2. Set the Instant Pot to sauté mode and add the olive oil when the pot reads “HOT.”
3. Lay the beef in (seasoned side down) and let it brown for about 5-7 minutes to form a good crust. Season the top side before flipping to brown the other side. I also take the time to brown the edges by leaning the beef on the sides of the pot. Work in batches (1 or 2 pieces at a time) to avoid overcrowding. Crowding will cause the meat to steam instead of brown. Remove the browned beef to a side tray while you continue.
4. Add the onion, celery, and carrots and cook for a few minutes until the veggies are just softened. The liquid from the veggies will help to loosen up the browned on bits from the bottom of the pot so scrape up as much as you can.
5. Add the garlic and stir for another minute.
6. Add the red wine (cabernet, merlot, chianti are all great choices). Stir and scrape up any remaining browned bits from the bottom.
7. Add the tomato paste and stir to thoroughly dissolve. Then add in the remaining spices (red pepper flakes, Italian seasoning, bay leaves) and diced tomatoes. Stir to combine.
8. Nest the browned meats into the pot along with any accumulated juices from the tray.
9. Lock the lid and cook on manual/high for 60 minutes followed by a natural pressure release before reopening the pot.
10. Remove the beef to a dish to shred or slice as you like while you make the gravy.
11. Skim the extra fat from the top of the pot, then set the pot back to sauté mode until it starts bubbling.
12. Whisk the cornstarch and water together and stir into the pot. Continue stirring for a few minutes and watch as the gravy thickens. It should be just thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
13. Serve with a sprinkling of fresh basil.