christmas dinners of years past and a recipe: pressure cooker pot roast

Christmas dinners of my childhood were small, simple affairs. Most of my extended family live in Kentucky and Tennessee, so it was often just my younger brother and me and my parents at home for the holiday. Later, when my mother’s parents moved to Florida, they joined us for Christmas dinner. My grandparents always stayed late for competitive games of Rook around the round oak dining table, its smooth edges warped from too many years in the Florida humidity, and my grandfather with an eternal cup of black coffee beside his hand.

Somewhere through the years, we decided to forgo the roasted turkey or glazed ham, and instead we chose to celebrate that day with a pot roast, mashed potatoes, and gravy – three of my father’s specialties. He was a master at preparing flavorful, juicy roast beef in his ancient Presto pressure cooker. The hissing and spitting sounds made by that pressure cooker and the savory aromas of the beef filled the house on Christmas, teasing us with the promise of the delectable meal that awaited us.

I was never able to replicate my father’s pot roast until I got over my own fear of the pressure cooker. Though I never witnessed any explosions, the noises emitted from that cooker as the pressure increased inside were enough to put an everlasting fear and mistrust of that device into me.

Perhaps some part of me didn’t truly want to replicate the meal. Because my taste memory of that dish is permanently intermingled and entwined with memories of my father, I wanted him to be the only one to cook that pot roast for us. Always and forever.

Of course, another big part of me just wanted to eat that pot roast again and not have to wait for Dad or for Christmas.

So I did it. I made my own version, staying true to the general idea of my father’s pot roast, but infusing my own touches into the recipe. And I managed to avoid the scary, old fashioned stove-top pressure cooker, instead using the more modern electric version for my version of Dad’s pot roast. This one doesn’t make crazy noises that scare the children – or me – and I like the convenience of pressing buttons.

This is a great pot roast, perfectly juicy and tender. It’s not my father’s pot roast, but that’s okay. This one will do until he can make his again for us.

Yield: Serves 4 to 6.

Cook Time: 65 minutes

Pressure Cooker Roast Beef

This Cuisinart electric pressure cooker is the pressure cooker I use, and I highly recommend it. It's perfect for those of us who are scared of the stove-top ones that sound as if they're going to blow up.

Ingredients:

For herb sachet:
2 bay leaves
2 sprigs fresh thyme
1 sprig rosemary
1/2 teaspoon peppercorns
3 cloves garlic, crushed

For roast:
4 to 5 pound chuck roast
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 cup chopped carrots
1 cup chopped celery
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1/2 cup red wine
1-1/2 cups beef broth
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

Prepare the herb sachet: In a square of cheesecloth, combine bay leaves, thyme, rosemary, peppercorns, and garlic. Bring the corners of the cheesecloth square together and tie with cooking twine. Set aside.

If using an electric pressure cooker: Season the roast with salt and pepper. Select Browning setting and add olive oil. When oil is hot, brown the roast on both sides, about 4-5 minutes per side, then remove roast to a plate. Choose the Sauté setting, then add onion, carrots, and celery. Cook until the vegetables are getting soft, about 5 minutes. Add tomato paste and wine, stirring until about half the liquid has evaporated. Add beef broth and Worcestershire sauce. Crush the herb sachet gently in your hands to release the aromas, then add it to the pot. Nestle the roast on top. Cover and lock lid in place. Select High Pressure and set timer for 99 minutes. When the audible beep sounds, allow the pressure to release naturally. When the float valve has dropped, remove lid carefully.

If using a stove-top pressure cooker: Season the roast with salt and pepper. Place cooker over medium-high heat and add olive oil. When oil is hot, brown the roast on both sides, about 4-5 minutes per side, then remove roast to a plate. Still on medium-high heat, add onion, carrots, and celery. Cook until the vegetables are getting soft, about 5 minutes. Add tomato paste and wine, stirring until about half the liquid has evaporated. Add beef broth and Worcestershire sauce. Crush the herb sachet gently in your hands to release the aromas, then add it to the pot. Nestle the roast on top. Cover and lock lid in place. Over high heat, bring to high pressure. Reduce heat just enough to maintain high pressure and cook for 55-60 minutes (err towards 60 minutes if your roast is closer to 5 pounds than 4). Turn off heat and allow the the pressure to release naturally. When the float valve has dropped, remove lid carefully.

Remove roast from the pressure cooker, slice against the grain - or pull apart with a fork - and serve.

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15 Responses to “christmas dinners of years past and a recipe: pressure cooker pot roast”

  1. 1
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    Kate @ Savour Fare — December 15, 2011 @ 4:36 pm

    I’m always looking for good pressure cooker recipes. Mine doesn’t get nearly as much use as it rightfully should.

  2. 2
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    Macaroni Mama — December 15, 2011 @ 9:32 pm

    I need to buy an electric pressure cooker. Ours scares me as well!

  3. 3
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    Paula — December 15, 2011 @ 10:57 pm

    I’m sure your Dad will be making his famous pressure cooker pot roast next Christmas for you all to enjoy.

    Call me stupid but I’ve never seen nor heard of an electric pressure cooker but I certainly love the idea of it. I haven’t used a stove-top one for years and when I did I was always afraid of just what you said….the hissing and the thought that at any minute the top would blow and I’d have a hole in my kitchen ceiling 🙂

    Your version of your Dad’s pot roast looks fork tender and delicious. I think I’ve topped out my Christmas list for this year but I have a birthday coming up in several months. LOL

    • 3.1
      Merry-Jennifer
      Merry-Jennifer — December 16, 2011 @ 7:25 am

      Aw, thanks Paula. Yes, you definitely want to add one of these to your gift list in the future. I love mine. I wish Cuisinart was paying me to say so, but they’re not – and it’s true.

  4. 4
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    Gail — December 16, 2011 @ 7:25 am

    Having witnessed a pressure cooker explosion, I’ve always steered clear of them.
    This pot roast looks and sounds really homey and wonderful.
    A 5 pound roast ready to serve in an hour? That’s pretty tempting, even for a ‘fraidy cat like me!

  5. 5
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    Kathryn — December 16, 2011 @ 8:33 am

    I love that you have your own Christmas food traditions that work for your family – it makes it all the more special!

  6. 6
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    Renée J. (RJ Flamingo) — December 16, 2011 @ 8:35 am

    I’m scared of those blasted things, too! Thanks for turning me on to the electric version – never knew they made them.

    The pot roast sounds scrumptious and I’m sure it will more than stand in till your Dad can make it for you again. 🙂

  7. 7
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    Renee — December 16, 2011 @ 8:35 am

    My dad made beef stew in a pressure cooker. I’ve been wanting to get a pressure cooker lately and I’m glad to see a recommendation on a good one. The pot roast sounds good too!

  8. 8
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    Chris — December 16, 2011 @ 10:41 pm

    Sounds like a wonderful memory, loaded with sounds and aromas that bring back a vivid recollection. Of all the contraptions and devices that we have, I have never had a pressure cooker. It’s something I need to look in to.

  9. 9
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    Karen — December 18, 2011 @ 12:33 am

    I am going to make this for tomorrow’s Sunday dinner. I haven’t done a pot roast in a pressure cooker for years… I use mine all the time to do dried beans and peas. Just an old Presto on top of the stove that is 30 years old, except for new rubber rings. Don’t be afraid –go for it.

  10. 10
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    Amy — December 19, 2011 @ 6:47 pm

    I have a pressure cooker and anxiety using it as well after ending up with butter beans on the ceiling our first year of marriage. To tell you the truth, I’ve never heard of an electric one, but I’m totally going to check into that because we would use it weekly.

    Yummy recipe!

  11. 11
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    Kiran @ KiranTarun.com — December 21, 2011 @ 12:31 am

    I use stove top pressure cooker a lot in Indian cooking — and it makes life so easy not waiting on foods to cook for hours 🙂

  12. 12
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    Kait — January 26, 2012 @ 6:01 pm

    I am going to make this tonight. It looks great. I wish the Cuisinart came with more recipes. Thanks!

    I use a pressure cooker to make all my weeknight dinners. I learned to get over my fear on an All American stovetop pressure cooker/canner. I love it because in addition to the jiggler, it has a steam pressure gauge which tells me exactly what the pressure in the pot is +/- 2psi. It is a 22 quart though so I bought a Cuisinart Electric Pressure Cooker. I bought this cooker because I wanted something that I would still use once the American version of the Fissler Vitavit Edition comes out.

    My favorite pressure cooker cookbooks are for stovetop though (The Easy Pressure Cooker Cookbook and Miss Vicki’s Big Book of Pressure Cooker Recipes). I hope to learn more about my Cuisinart to adjust these recipes and expand my cooking choices.

    I love having both options of stovetop and electric. I do like the Cuisinart also. It cooks on Hi, Low, has a browning and saute setting, and automatically switches to warming which buys me an extra hour before it starts affecting the food. Nice little machine.

    • 12.1
      Merry-Jennifer
      Merry-Jennifer — January 27, 2012 @ 7:39 am

      Thanks for the tips on the cookbooks! I have one for stovetop, but it’s not one that you mentioned. I’ll have to check those out.

  13. 13
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    Kathe — February 24, 2013 @ 10:40 pm

    Made this for dinner tonight. Along with some mashed potatoes and homemade bread this was the best Sunday dinner I’ve made in a long while! Thank you!!! And a thank you to my Cuisinart electric pressure cooker!

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