This kind of pressure cooking turns complex weekend-only dishes into everyday fare. I adapted our classic Yankee pot roast recipe for cooking in the Instant Pot, using baby carrots and frozen pearl onions to cut down on prep time. Coating the roast with seasoned flour before browning adds flavor and helps thicken the sauce — an important step in a sealed system where water can't evaporate. Spoon the sauce over the beef and vegetables, then serve alongside mashed potatoes, buttered egg noodles, or rice.
Ingredients
- all-purpose flour: 0.25 cup
- kosher salt: 1 Tbsp
- ½ teaspoons freshly ground black pepper: 1 piece
- (3 1/2) pound boneless beef chuck roast: 1 piece
- olive oil: 3 Tbsp
- yellow onion: 1 piece (diced)
- garlic: 3 clove (minced)
- ½ teaspoons minced fresh rosemary: 1 piece
- beef stock: 1 cup (divided)
- Merlot wine: 0.75 cup
- tomato paste: 2 Tbsp
- bay leaf: 1 piece
- baby carrots: 2 cups
- frozen pearl onions: 2 cups
- stalks celery: 3 piece (cut into 2-inch pieces)
- rosemary sprigs: 3 piece (for garnish, fresh)
Metric Conversion
Stages of cooking
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Stir together flour, salt, and pepper in a small bowl.
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Pat chuck roast dry with a paper towel. Sprinkle flour mixture all over roast, pressing lightly to ensure it sticks to the meat.
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Turn on a multi-functional pressure cooker (such as Instant Pot), add oil, and select Sauté function. Add roast to the hot oil and cook, without turning, until browned, about 3 minutes. Turn roast to brown each side, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer roast to a plate.
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Add onion, garlic, and minced rosemary to the pot; cook, stirring often, until onion is translucent, about 6 minutes. Add beef stock, wine, and tomato paste and simmer while scraping the browned bits of food off the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Return roast to the pot; add bay leaf.
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Close and lock the lid, select Meat/Stew function, and set the timer for 40 minutes.
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Release pressure carefully using the quick-release method according to the manufacturer's instructions, about 5 minutes. Unlock and remove the lid. Transfer roast to a plate, tent with aluminum foil, and let rest for 15 minutes.
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Add carrots, pearl onions, and celery to the pot. Close and lock the lid. Select high pressure according to manufacturer's instructions; set timer for 4 minutes. Allow 5 to 10 minutes for pressure to build.
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Release pressure carefully using the quick-release method according to the manufacturer's instructions, about 5 minutes. Unlock and remove the lid.
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Slice roast against the grain, or use 2 forks to pull meat into chunks. Transfer roast, vegetables, and sauce to a serving platter. Discard bay leaf and garnish with rosemary sprigs.
