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So Sunday’s in my house was a pot roast kinda day. I can remember getting up super early watching, then eventually helping, Mom make her to-die-for white bread and rolls. She’d then grab 10-15 pounds of chuck roast, throw it into her big pot along with tons of potatoes, carrots, onions and seasonings. She’d then let it cook all day long on the lowest heat. The smell was so rich and inviting that you could literally smell pot roast as you walked up our walkway. Sunday’s were always my favorite day as I loved my Mom’s pot roast. Now granted I’d scoff at eating carrots but I’d end up just mashing them up super small and adding enough butter on them that Paula Deen would be impressed with.
Now even though Mom had whole potatoes in the pot she always made her creamy (and lumpy because that was my favorite and I was Mom’s favorite – regardless of what my siblings said) mashed potatoes. The only downfall of her dish was that it was cooked low and slow ALL DAY LONG. Let’s face it, in today’s world we are ridiculously busy and free time is something we just don’t have that luxury of. Plus if you’re like me you often aren’t home for 8-10 hours straight while the oven is on. I know I’m not. It’s sad as I’m away from my house longer per day than I am in it. It’s the troubles of working really far from the office.
I’d say for the past few years I’ve really grown in my passion for pressure cooking. I conquered that fear Mom put in me that “OMG it’ll explode in your face and you’ll lose an eye” thought she ingrained my brain. One thing I hadn’t tried yet in my pressure cooker was to recreate her phenomenal pot roast recipe but without having to wait all day long for it to cook. However, the day had come for me to attempt it because I was so craving it.
Earlier that morning I was at the butcher’s shop when I spied some of the most gorgeous chuck roasts. They were on sale (bonus!) and the marbling on them was stunning… that is, stunning how meat goes. You see when you would normally slow bake these you need a good bit of marbling as that it what allows the meat to become tender, juicy and flavorful. And I’m sorry but if you make me a pot roast I better not need a knife. It should be fork-tender and pretty much just fall apart if you look at it.
As you can see by these pictures, I accomplished this in the pressure cooker annnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnddddd it didn’t have to cook all day. In fact, it was done in 90 minutes once it was up to pressure. However, the proof is in the pudding er um, in the pot roast. But I’ll get to the taste later on. Let’s dish about this dish a bit more. Have you jumped on board the pressure cooker train? No? OMG why not? I have 2 – one that is gas operated and one is electric operated. I’m still on the fence of which one I prefer more. They both are awesome and I’ve yet to find faults with either. The BEST Gas Pressure cooker out there is the All-Clad PC8. Not only is it stunningly beautiful, but it’s also a true workhorse. For an electric on I love my Emeril by T-fal CY4000 Nonstick Dishwasher Safe Electric Pressure Cooker. It was my first one and well you know how it goes, your first will always hold a special place in your heart. Another popular electric one that has also got rave reviews is the Instant Pot IP-DUO60 7-in-1 Multi-Functional Pressure Cooker.
Next, let’s dish about the cut of meat. Pot roast is not a cut of beef. When it comes to pot roast you want to buy the tougher, often cheaper cuts of beef that come from the cow’s extremities. You would never use a filet or steak cut in a pot roast. No, you want those tougher, more muscle-laden cuts of beef. You see the more muscle the cut of meat has the more flavor it will produce. Sure it’s tougher meat initially but when you slow roast it, or in this case, pressure cook it, all that muscle fiber and connective tissue begin to break down and the flavors to release thus producing one of the most tender pieces of beef.
To get started I did a simple sear of the beef in the pressure cooker. Why sear the beef? It doesn’t “seal in the juices or flavor”. Nope, doesn’t do that. Instead, you’re building up incredible depths of flavor instead. Plus it adds to the color of the dish. And as I’ve said for years, we do eat with our eyes as well. Once the beef was seared on all sides the beef is removed and it’s time to “assemble” the pot. Layering flavors is important in pressure cooking just like regular cooking. When I have potatoes, carrots or the like to a dish like this I always put those veggies on the bottom and then the meat on top. As the dish cooks, those veggies get infused with the flavors of the meat.
Next, add the meat back in and make sure to pour in any of the juices that escaped from the beef onto the plate. Don’t pitch that, that’s flavor right there folks! Lastly, mix together the herbs and liquid, seal up the cooker and set the timer.
In the 90 minutes while this was cooking I managed to get 2 loads of laundry done, the dishes washed, beds made and even had time to play around on Instagram. As I walked towards the kitchen that smell hit me in the face and I actually stopped for a minute, closed my eyes and immediately I was transferred back to when I was 8 years old. I can do vividly remember this now and it’s honestly because of this smell. It was a Sunday in the summer. I had been sent to ‘play outside’ all day (and not like kids today who I swear don’t see the outdoors until it’s on tv or in a video game). I was swinging on my swing set when I hear Mom holler from the kitchen door “Lori Ann, dinner’s ready. Come wash up.”
Just like any kid I tried to get in a few last swings before I had to go inside and I thought I was smart and tried to jump off of the swing while it was halfway up in the air. Being a chubby kid I didn’t propel very far. In fact as I jumped off of the seat somehow the back of my foot swung up and got caught on the seat. BOOM! SPLAT! I went face down into a pile of dirt, grass, and rocks. I laid there wailing as someone had just stabbed me 42 times. Mom and her ninja speed flew out the door (apron wrapped around her) and by my side in seconds. She helped me up and even though she kept a smile trying to soothe me I could see in her eyes I was cut pretty bad. She wiped my face with her spit-kissed apron, told me for dessert we could have ice cream (I immediately stopped crying…fat kids love ice cream) and we walked up to the house.
I can remember holding her hand and as we walked up the brick sidewalk I could smell her pot roast, warm bread, and gravy.
God, I haven’t thought about that since I was little. Isn’t it funny how food triggers memories?
So back to this pot roast…once I did the natural release and took the lid off, OMG the smell was amazing! Like this was exactly my Mom’s kitchen on Sunday smells. I couldn’t help but grin from ear to ear! The roast… OMG, I needed to large slotted spoons to help pull it out and keep it intact as it was literally falling apart it was so tender. Next out came the super tender carrots which, yes I still put loads of butter on them. I just am not a huge fan of cooked carrots – even when they are infused with this amazing flavor.
Growing up I never ate the gravy. Why? Onions… I didn’t do chunks. But as I grew up and learned to respect them and then eventually grow to love them in recipes. Now okay sure, I will not eat a raw onion on a sandwich…omg I’d die! but if they are cooked, roasted or whatever. I’m all for it. So yeah growing up when it came to roasts or steaks I was a *ducking as she says this…* I was a ketchup girl. Yes, I smothered my steaks and roasts in ketchup. And okay fine, if I eat a steak today I still smother it in ketchup. I can’t help it. Yes I know you’re probably scoffing at the thought of it but I’m a ketchup-o-holic!
But for this, I kept the gravy and made the onion gravy truly savory.
Now I still kept in Mom’s style with the carrots and creamy mashed potatoes. God, I love mashed taters!
But I also wanted to step up my game and go with one of my FAVORITE sides – Bacon Wrapped Brussels Sprouts with Maple Dijon Glaze. Plus to be honest, it was the only veggie I had in my fridge since I hadn’t been grocery shopping for veggies in a bit. Annnnnnnnnnnnnnnnd there’s bacon involved so anytime I can incorporate that into a dinner I’m game!
As you can tell by these mouthwatering pics, dinner was an EPIC SUCCESS! This literally was my Mom’s Sunday pot roast but made in a fraction of the time. I do wish she was here with me to taste this. I feel like this is the dish that I could serve her and say “Mom you cooked for us all those years. Because of your guidance, you can now relax, hang up your apron and let me take over.” Mom would have been proud of me.
PrintPressure Cooker Mom’s Classic Pot Roast with Savory Onion Gravy
- Prep Time: 30
- Cook Time: 90
- Total Time: 1.5 hours
- Category: Beef
- Method: Pressure Cooking
- Cuisine: Comfort Food
Mom’s classic Sunday pot roast. So fork tender it practically falls apart when you look at it! No knife needed!
Ingredients
- 3–4lb chuck roast *See notes for 3 pound roast
- 1 large yellow onion, chopped small, about 1 1/2 – 2 cups
- 4 whole carrots, cut into 3” sections
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic, fresh
- 3 cups beef stock
- 2 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon parsley, dried
- 1 teaspoon thyme, dried
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoon corn starch
- 2 tablespoon water
Instructions
- Coat the chuck roast with 1 teaspoon of salt on all sides. In your pressure cooker either over high heat or on the browning stage, add the oil. Once the oil is shimmering carefully place the roast in the pot searing for 6-9 minutes on each side. Each side should have a dark caramelized crust. Once seared, remove the meat from the pot and set aside.If using a gas pressure cooker, reduce the heat to low. If using an electric pressure cooker, shut the system off.
- Next, in order, place the onions, carrots and garlic. *Note – if you like a more firm carrot, leave them out. See the note about cooking the carrots to have a more firm consistency. On top of the vegetables place the seared meat and any juices that were on the plate.
- In a bowl whisk together the stock, Worcestershire sauce, remaining salt, pepper, thyme and parsley. Pour this over the meat.
- Place the pressure cooker lid on the pot and seal. For a gas pressure cooker, turn the heat to high, set the dial to meat/poultry and the timer to 60 minutes. When the unit reaches temperature (mine chirps to notify me) reduce the heat to low. My unit only goes up to 59 minutes however this roast needs 90 (for a smaller 3lb size see notes as this only needs 70 minutes total) minutes to cook. When it chirps that it’s done simply reset the timer by adding another 30 minutes.For an electric pressure cooker, set it to high and the time to 90 minutes.
- After 90 minutes release the pressure in either pressure cooker using the natural release method. Carefully remove the lid and using large slotted spoons gently remove the roast and set on a serving platter to rest. It should be fall-apart tender. Next, remove the carrots and set aside.
- To make gravy strain any fat off and place the juice back into the pot. Bring the liquid to a boil (electric pressure cooker you’d set it to browning). In a small bowl stir together the cornstarch and water until blended. Whisk in the cornstarch slurry into the pot. Reduce the heat to medium and stir occasionally until desired consistency. Taste the gravy for seasoning – additional salt and or pepper.
Notes
For a 3lb roast, go with a total cook time of 70 minutes. If, after 70 minutes, it’s not fork tender, go with another 5-10 minutes under pressure.
More firm carrots – So I like a super soft carrot but if you do not, follow these instructions. Set the timer for 65 minutes WITHOUT the carrots in the pot. At the end of 65 minutes, do a quick release, add the carrots into the pot then cook on high pressure for 15 minutes. Once done, follow the rest of the recipe for with a natural release.
Wendy Hanson says
This was delish!!! It was the first time using my pressure cooker and I was nervous but it turned out wonderful. I did 7lbs of roast and it turned out perfectly.
Diana Rosario says
This looks delicious! I am going to try it today but I’m afraid to put the veggies in at the same time. I’m afraid they will come out mushy. It’s ok to put them in for the whole 90 minutes?
TKWAdmin says
Hi Diana,
It’s weird as they actually don’t get mushy. I thought that would happen when I created the recipe but they didn’t. Yet if you were to just cook carrots by themselves they take what, 4 minutes? Now I do like my carrots super soft (not mushy) but if you like yours a little firmer you could cook the meat without the carrots. Cook for 75 minutes, do a natural release on the pressure, add the carrots and take back up to pressure and cook for 15 minutes.
Best Kitchen Wishes!
Julia Graff says
Your younger Sundays sound like mine. Going to make this today … I now have 2 pressure cookers and love them both. Have had my larger 8qt. for about 6 years and just got a 4qt. last month…
TKWAdmin says
Hi Julia!
I need another 8 quart one. I have 2 but Mama Fantabulous has informed me that she “wants” my smaller one and that I don’t “need” it; that she should have it. LOL I offered to buy her a new one but she said “No, yours works as it creates magical things already.” LOL
Best Kitchen Wishes!
Samantha says
Omg .. made this last night and I am so glad I did 4lbs of meat.. next time I will take more fat off. This is the best pot roast I ever made.. I used fresh herbs .. I also made the mashed potatoes that was awesome too .. just way happy I have left overs which I am eating now
TKWAdmin says
Thank you so much Samantha! To read things like that truly puts the biggest smile on my face! Mom would have giggled if joy if she were here to read it. So thank you!
Best Kitchen Wishes!
KarenB says
Hi Lori! I’m making mommas pot roast right now. It’s a 3 lb roast so I set it on Manual for 70 min as it was refrigerator cold and also it’s a round or rump roast, thus thicker than a chuck. I am cooking the tatoes separately, carrots in and mushrooms too as I had them sliced already leftover from last night dinner. BUT I accidentally added the cornstarch to the broth and poured it over rather than after it cooks. Hopefully it will turn out. I plan on making Brussels sprouts with bacon aka your todiefor recipe. But can’t use that brown sugar. I can’t do sugar. 🙁 but the Dijon glaze? You bet! Lol. I MAY drizzle some balsamic too. Hope all is well!
TKWAdmin says
Hey Karen!
You should be fine hon with adding the cornstarch ahead of time. Oh definitely go with the balsamic drizzle. Do a quick reduction of it as they may help sweeten up the glaze.
Best Kitchen Wishes!
Kim R says
I just got a new pressure cooker but had not yet used it. Yesterday, my husband was supposed to make a balsamic pot roast in my SLOW cooker. It takes 8 hours. He called me at 3:00 p.m. to ask me where the recipe was. Oops! Too late now! Well, since I do have a new pressure cooker, I took to the internet and scoured recipes until I found the one I wanted to try. This one. OMG – my first pressure cooker meal was an EPIC SUCCESS! The meat was fall apart tender, absolutely succulent, and the gravy is the stuff dreams are made of. I did have 1 cup of my own homemade beef stock which I’m sure made a difference. My only other tweaks were to add some slided cremini mushrooms, and about 1/4 cup or less or red wine. I’m not sure if the red wine helped but I did detect a slight mushroom flavor that was just right.
This was so fantastic, I’m now cruising the rest of your site for my next pressure cooker success! Thank you for this!
TKWAdmin says
Hi Kim!
Oh you go girl with rockin’ Pressure Cooker self! LOVE the addition of the red wine and cremini mushrooms!
I do have an entire Pressure Cooking recipe section on my site PLUS many of my savory dishes can easily be converted to the PC. Just send me a note and I can tell you how to tweak it.
Thank you so much for such kind words!
Best Kitchen Wishes!
Julie Taran says
Hello. I too wanted to welcome you to the world of pressure cooking. I have had mine for a little over a year and am absolutely in love with it. My favorite thing to make is chicken and noodles. But I have made roasts, cabbage smoked sausage and potatoes, mac and cheese… You name it and I’ve just about tried it LOL happy cooking to you and best wishes. Julie
Jess says
I just ordered a Pressure King Pro and I’m a little nervous as never used a pressure cooker before, but this recipe looks great so I will definitely give it a go! I loved reading about your mother it brought a tear to my eye.
TKWAdmin says
Yeah!!! Welcome to the world of Pressure Cooking! It’s life changing! I absolutely love it!!! And thank you so much!
Best Kitchen Wishes!
Joan says
I have a digital Power Cooker, is that the type you are talking about? I was also wondering about using the little red potatoes or fingerling potatoes will either of these work and do you put them under the roast and cook the 90 min as directions say?
TKWAdmin says
Hi Joan!
I’m not familiar with a Power Cooker. I’m talking about a Pressure Cooker (think Instant Pot). For small red potatoes I would put them in after the roast is done. Remove the roast, add the potatoes and then cook for 3-4 minutes at high under pressure. The carrots you can do with the potatoes if you don’t want super soft carrots. I like mine super super soft thus I cook mine a longer time.
Best Kitchen Wishes!
Joan says
Thanks for getting back with me. The person who gave me the power pressure cooker came over and cooked the pot roast, took 5 min to sear it and 20 min to cook the roast, potatoes and carrots.
Rebecca says
I just got the power pressure 6 qt. I was concerned with reading all these electric pressure cooker recipes because it didn’t seem to match what i though i new about cooking in one. I’m so glad you posted this. I will look for recipes that state specifically power pressure cooker
Ryan says
Thank you for this recipe and I do plan to make it this weekend. I just wanted to quickly add a huge thank you for your memories of your Mom. It brought tears to my eyes as it will to all who had Mom who cooked so many hours just to please her family. When I do make this, I will be thinking of you, your Mom & my Mom.
TKWAdmin says
Aw thank you so very much. It really means a lot to me when you guys read my posts and can relate. Moms are the best and it sounds like you too were blessed with an amazing Mom!
Best Kitchen Wishes!