Pressure cookers are appliances that are filled with a small amount of liquid and covered, which locks in steam. They can heat thick pot roast in a fraction of its normal oven time, so you don’t have to wait for hours to get that dish on the table.
Ingredients
Choose a pot roast that will comfortably fit into your pressure cooker without overcrowding it. Ensure the meat does not take up more than two-thirds of the total pressure cooker or it may not cook properly because the air pocket won’t have enough room to form. If you don’t have that extra gap, no pressure will develop. Always have liquid on hand when using your pressure cooker or else you won’t have a source for the steam and pressure to build up. Use about 2-1/2 cups canned beef broth when you’re making pot roast in your pressure cooker. Avoid using water as your liquid. Since pot roast contains a lot of connective tissue and not much fat, it risks tasting bland, so choose the most flavorful ingredients as possible.
Preparation
Coat the bottom of your pressure cooker with olive or vegetable oil and keep the lid off. Cook your pot roast in the uncovered pressure cooker over high heat for about three minutes on each side or until the outside is golden brown. Browning the outsides prior to pressure cooking will give the pot roast a richer flavor that can be lacking when it’s not slow cooked. If you’re serving vegetables with the pot roast (such as carrots or potatoes), make sure to brown them in the oil as well, separately from the pot roast.
Cooking
Add your beef broth into the bottom of your pressure cooker before you add any of the other ingredients so you can ensure the liquid completely coats all the ingredients. If you add the liquid last, the bottom of the pot roast will not be covered and could risk burning due to the high heat without having any liquid to create steam. Place your pot roast directly into the broth, then cover your pressure cooker securely with the lid or else it could loosen once the pressure builds up.
Set your pressure cooker to high and heat your pot roast for no more than one hour or it will overcook and start to shrink. Do not open the lid immediately or you’ll shock the meat and it will quickly dry out. Turn the cooker off and wait about 15 minutes for it to cool down on its own before removing the lid and the pot roast. It should be moist enough to easily cut into thin slices; if not, add it back into the pressure cooker and heat over high for another five to 10 minutes. Pressure cookers can quickly overheat food, so err on the cautious side and heat in small increments if you think your pot roast isn’t done.
