So. I’ve been making pot roast in a slow cooker for ages. The recipe is simple, reliable and delicious. I didn’t think anything could ever replace that recipe. And then, this week, I tried making pot roast in my Instant Pot, using the pressure cooker settings. Whoah, boy, pressure cooker pot roast just replaced slow cooker pot roast. Quite frankly I’m stunned by this upset. But I’m happy about it just the same.

I bought an Instant Pot I think three years ago and, until last month, had used it only once. I tried cooking basic chicken using the pressure cooker function and it worked, well, fine. It didn’t blow me out of the water, and so the Instant Pot got pushed to the back of the cabinet. And then my friend Christine mentioned a few weeks ago how she loves making brown rice in the pressure cooker. So I dug it out and started experimenting.

As of today I am so-so on brown rice (I just haven’t perfected that process yet) and in love with making beans in the pressure cooker (I’ll share that recipe another day, it took some tweaking but I finally have it where I like it). And then I decided to try pot roast. HUGE SUCCESS. It tasted the same as my slow cooker pot roast and, top to bottom, took about 2 hours instead of the usual 8-9 hours.

I will say this – I can totally see instances where cooking the pot roast for 8 hours will be more convenient based on my schedule for a particular day. But what is so glorious is now I have two options, 2 hours or 8 hours, with equally delicious results. Hooray for pressure cooker pot roast!

I took my inspiration for this pot roast from my friend Barbara from Pressure Cooking Today. She is my pressure cooker guru. You need to bookmark her site pronto if you have a pressure cooker or Instant Pot. You’re welcome. (Click here for Barbara’s pot roast recipe, which has a few more ingredients than my version below.)

Pressure Cooker Pot Roast

 

Print

Prep time

15 mins

Cook time

120 mins

Total time

2 hours 15 mins

 

Simple, easy and delicious! Instructions below are based on using an Instant Pot.

Author: Jane Maynard

Serves: 6-8

Ingredients

• 1 chuck, chuck-eye, or round roast (around 4 pounds)
• 1-2 tablespoons canola, vegetable or olive oil
• Salt and pepper
• ½ of an onion, chopped
• 2 cups beef broth or stock

Instructions

1. Sprinkle roast evenly with salt and pepper. Set aside.
2. Select the "Browning" setting on the Instant Pot. Add oil to Instant Pot and let heat up. Once hot, brown the roast on both sides, a few minutes per side until you start to get beautiful browned spots. Set roast aside.
3. Add onions to the Instant Pot and cook until softened and translucent. Stir regularly.
4. Add broth to Instant Pot, scraping the bottom of the pot to deglaze. Let onions simmer in the broth about 3 minutes or so.
5. Add roast and change Instant Pot setting to High pressure. Make sure the pressure release handle is on "Sealing." Set the timer for 90 minutes. It will take about 15 minutes for the pot to build pressure and for the 90-minute countdown to begin.
6. When the 90 minutes is over, turn off the pressure cooker and let it sit for 15 minutes, letting pressure release naturally. At the 15-minute mark, using a hot pad and being careful not to touch the steam, turn the pressure release handle to "Venting" to release the rest of the pressure. Once it stops steaming, remove the lid.
7. Let roast rest for 10-15 minutes. Use juices for gravy, straining the juice first to remove the "stuff" left behind in the juices. Make gravy using white roux (click here for recipe and instructions). You can also use a slurry made from ½ cup flour whisked with 1 cup cold water to thicken the gravy if you forgot to make the roux.

3.4.3177

OTHER RECIPES YOU MAY LIKE:

• White Roux / How to Make Perfect Gravy
• Mashed Potatoes
• Slow Cooker Pot Roast

EQUIPMENT I USED TO MAKE THIS RECIPE:

• Instant Pot 7-in-1
• OXO Silicone Spatula

As a kid my favorite dinner was beef stroganoff. My mom didn’t make it often and she only liked to make it when she could get the meat from a particular butcher in town, so when we did have stroganoff it was such a treat. I suppose I’ve been a sucker for sour cream and mushrooms since the early days!

I also rarely make beef stroganoff and, until now, always just used those dried sauce packets from the grocery store. I must admit that I liked how it tasted and it didn’t require any thought. But what I like more is cooking food from scratch whenever I can, so I decided it was time to try completely homemade beef stroganoff. And, in all honesty, it wasn’t any harder than using one of those sauce packets!

This recipe is simple but delicious. I researched tons of different recipes as I thought about how I wanted to put the dish together and this is what I came up with. The sauce was creamy and tasty, the meat was tender and I totally had seconds (just like the old days). I also love meals that use meat sparingly. This recipe makes a ton of food with just 1 pound of steak – I love that!

In the interest of full disclosure, Anna did not like it, but I think she just doesn’t like stroganoff to begin with. (She also doesn’t like chicken pot pie, so can we trust her? I think not.) Owen only ate two bites, but that was more a function of Anna giving him a giant granola bar 5 minutes before dinner without telling me. Soooo helpful. Cate said it was really good and worthy of sharing on the blog and Nate agreed. At least I have some supporters in the family!

(>> Find out more…)

Since it’s too darn hot to cook in the kitchen, how about we hit the grill? Nate bought a tri tip roast a few weeks ago, a food item we had never cooked before. I browsed a bunch of tri tip recipes and we went for it…with great success! Our tri tip roast came out tender and flavorful…mmmmmmm. Unfortunately I couldn’t get a great photo of it…I won’t go into details, but this is the best shot I got. The meat was actually a little more red than what it looks like here. It was perfectly cooked and perfectly tender.

ANYWAY…here’s the “recipe” for my marinade. As for cooking the meat, we did exactly what my blogging friend Elise outlines over on her blog Simply Recipes. By the way…Nate is now the president of the Charbroil Chimney Charcoal Starter Club. I think that deserves a post, actually. I’ll have to remember to grab my camera next time he’s grilling!

Tri Tip Roast

 

Print

Author: Jane Maynard

Recipe type: Main Dish, Beef

Ingredients

• Gallon Ziploc bag
• Soy Sauce
• Red wine vinegar
• olive oil
• fresh garlic cloves, sliced (2-5, depending on how much you like garlic)
• salt & pepper
• honey

Instructions

1. Pour in equal parts soy sauce, vinegar and olive oil into the Ziploc bag”¦enough that it will cover your roast when the bag is sealed. Add garlic, salt & pepper and about 1 tablespoon or so of honey. Add the tri tip roast to the bag, zip it up and let marinate overnight.

Notes

Click here, cook the tri tip exactly how Elise Bauer tells you to over on Simply Recipes and everything will come out beautifully.

3.2.2646

Another Swedish food that my grandmother ALWAYS made was Swedish meatballs. Just like bulle, the smell alone takes me back in time. The last two years I’ve made meatballs 2 days before Christmas, ready to pop in the oven on Christmas Day. Making the meatballs is a little labor intensive, but doing them ahead makes for a super easy and delicious Christmas dinner.

Christmas or not, these are some good meatballs. They are best served with boiled red potatoes and lingonberry jam.

Swedish Meatballs

 

Print

Author: Jane Maynard

Recipe type: Main Dish, Beef

Ingredients

• FOR THE MEATBALLS
• 1 pound ground beef
• ¼ pound ground veal
• ¼ pound ground pork
• ¼ teaspoon pepper
• 2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 2 teaspoon paprika
• 2 cups bread crumbs
• ½ cup milk
• 1 onion (medium) (I do only about ⅓ of an onion)
• 2 tablespoon butter
• 2½ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon dry mustard
• 3 beaten eggs
• FOR THE SAUCE:
• Fat left in skillet
• ¼ teaspoon garlic
• 5 tablespoon butter
• 2 teaspoon tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon beef concentrate (or bouillon cube)
• 2 cups bouillon or beef stock
• Optional: 1 teaspoon aromatic bitters (I’ve never used these)
• ¼ cup butter
• 1 cup sour cream

Instructions

1. Have meat ground together twice or mix really well. Soak bread crumbs in milk. Add meat – mix well. Mix in pepper, nutmeg, paprika, and beaten eggs.
2. In a large frying pan, saute onions in 2 T butter until soft. Add salt and dry mustard and stir. Add onion mixture to meat mixture and mix well. Form 48 small balls. Brown meatballs in ¼ C butter. Remove balls – set aside in a 9×13 baking pan.
3. Add garlic and 1 T butter to fat left in skillet. Blend in 4 more Tbsp. butter, tomato paste, beef concentrate, and beef stock. Stir mixture over low heat until it thickens slightly. Stir in 1 cup sour cream and a few more tablespoons of butter (yes, more butter!). Pour sauce over meatballs. Heat in moderate oven (I think baked them at 350 degrees) until hot.

Notes

This recipe improves if made one day ahead.

3.2.2429

Happy St Patrick’s Day!  I had visions of turning all of our food green today, but Cate wouldn’t have it.  When I offered green pancakes or oatmeal this morning she replied, “I had green eggs and ham at school and it wasn’t good.  No thanks!” So much for being a fun mom.

I promised corned beef recipes, so here we go!

Straight-Up Corned Beef

 

Print

Delicious corned-beef hoagies with melted cheese!

Author: Jane Maynard

Recipe type: Main Dish, Beef

Ingredients

• 3 – 3½ lb corned beef
• 2 bay leaves
• 12 black peppercorns
• juniper berries
• seasoning packet
• mustard
• brown sugar

Instructions

1. Rinse meat under cold water. Place in large pot – cover with 6 in cold water. Cover pot – bring water to boil. Pour off water. Put 6 in cold water back in pot. Bring to boil covered. Repeat if want less salty taste.
2. Skim off scum. Add spices (p.s. I always forget to buy juniper berries, but the little spice packet that comes with the meat seems to be enough) . Lower heat, cover and simmer til very tender but still holds together, ~1 hour per pound.

3.2.2310

Corned Beef and Glaze

 

Print

From my mom-in-law Pat”¦who is a McCarthy, so I would trust her with an Irish recipe. She says this is a yummy way to get corned beef down the throats of the non-Irish.

Author: Jane Maynard

Recipe type: Main Dish, Beef

Ingredients

• 1 or 2 point cut briskets
• large can peaches(mashed up)
• dark brown sugar
• butter
• OJ
• marmalade
• maple syrup

Instructions

1. Cover the briskets with water and boil, then simmer for 3 or 4 hours. Take outta the water and save water to cook your cabbage, carrots and potatoes in. Heat oven to 425 or 450. Put brisket on a broiler pan. Mix above ingredients so they hold together as a glaze. (Add OJ last to see if too watery – and sorry there are no measurements!) Put glaze on top and baste again every 20 minutes or so. Then reduce oven to 325. Glaze some more, every 25 minutes or so, till the fat drains through the broiler pan. Total bake time is about 1-1/2 to 2 hours – a big commitment – but yummy.

3.2.2310

First off, my apologies to all the vegetarians out there…this is a very MEATY post. 🙂 The first time I had ribs, my Aunt Barbara and Uncle Mark made them for the 4th of July and I was SOLD. And, as I mentioned recently, all I want to eat lately is ribs from Phil’s BBQ (here in San Diego).

Nate and I took a hand at grilling our first ribs this weekend (pictured). They were yummy yummy and cost about half as if we’d gone out. So, here’s how Barbara and Mark taught us how to do it – it’s easy, although cleaning the roasting pan – not so fun.

Featured Recipe: RIBS & Great BBQ Sauce

 

Print

Author: Jane Maynard

Recipe type: Main Dish, Beef

Instructions

1. Cook ribs in big roasting pan at 250 degrees for about 5 hours. Place ribs on a rack in the pan and keep some water in the bottom of the pan while cooking. You can roast the day before and refrigerate until you’re ready to grill.
2. Cook ribs on grill, low heat setting, for about 30 minutes or until they’re hot. While they’re cooking, keep slathering with BBQ sauce and turning every few minutes.
3. “What BBQ sauce should I use?” you may be wondering. Barb’s favorite by far is Head Country BBQ sauce, and we have to agree. It is seriously yummy, and you can order it online easy as pie!

3.2.2429

It’s been cloudy and gloomy here in San Diego the last few days, so I think we’re due for some comfort food. Last time I made Beef Stew, Cate GOBBLED it up! Hopefully other toddlers out there will follow suit…always nice to find something they’ll eat!

This recipe is from my mom, who is notorious for giving non-recipe-recipes, where you have to guess amounts, etc. Despite the lack of direction, it IS easy to make. Let me know if you have questions! Note: I put the carrots and celery in before the potatoes so the potatoes don’t get too mushy, but some people don’t mind it and like how the potatoes thicken the stew.

Featured Recipe: Beef Stew

 

Print

Hearty beef stew! Yum!

Author: Jane Maynard

Recipe type: Main Dish, Meat

Ingredients

• beef stew meat / round steak (appx amount: 1½ lb)
• butter/olive oil
• onion (I chop ½ of an onion)
• beef broth (appx 4 Cups; mom uses beef concentrate and water, I have bouillon)
• celery
• carrots
• potatoes
• flour/water thickening
• salt & pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Brown the meat and onions. Add broth to cover meat and simmer for a few hours. Add vegetables. When they’re not quite done, add thickening. Season.

3.2.2265

Today I have an easy, reliable recipe for simple slow cooker pot roast. This pot roast cooks perfectly every time and provides all kinds of wonderful juices for making gravy.

Growing up my mom and my mom’s mom always made roast beef that was cooked in the oven. I loved their roast beef dinners, complete with mashed potatoes and gravy. Fast forward a few years to when I got married and started really cooking for myself. The first time we had friends over for dinner I chose to make roast beef, after all that was company-worthy food. Welll…despite my best efforts, the roast beef came out tough and dry. Our friends and my husband were incredibly sweet, praising my efforts. But I knew better. I tried cooking roast beef a few more times and eventually gave up. I just couldn’t replicate what my grandmother and mother could do.

Fast forward a few more years to dinner at my friend Katie’s house. She made us pot roast in the slow cooker and it was delectable. She kindly shared the recipe and it has been a standby for me ever since. My family loves this pot roast because it tastes so good. I love it because it’s beyond easy and it makes a ton of wonderful juices that can be made into gravy. While this roast is different than the magic my mother and grandmother conjured, it is just as delicious and has provided new memories for our family. Enjoy!

Pot Roast

 

Print

Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

8 hours

Total time

8 hours 10 mins

 

From: Katie Tullis

Author: Jane Maynard

Recipe type: Main Dish, Beef

Serves: 4-6

Ingredients

• 1 chuck or round beef roast, 2-3 pounds
• Olive oil
• salt
• pepper
• 1 can beef consumme
• 1 can water

Instructions

1. Generously salt and pepper the roast on all sides.
2. Heat a tablespoon or two of olive oil in a large frying pan at medium-high heat. Once pan is hot, add roast, browning on both sides for a few minutes per side until it browns.
3. Place browned roast in slow cooker. Add beef consumme and water to slow cooker. Cook on low for 6-8 hours (I always try to go at least 8 hours so it gest super tender and "potroasty").
4. Use fluid in crockpot to make gravy. Click here for instructions on how to make gravy with white roux (the best way!).

3.4.3177

OTHER RECIPES YOU MAY LIKE:

• White Roux / How to Make Perfect Gravy
• Mashed Potatoes
• Slow Cooker Pot Roast

EQUIPMENT I USED TO MAKE THIS RECIPE:

• Le Creuset Enameled Cast Iron Skillet
• Crock Pot 6-Quart Manual Slow Cooker