Sunday-supper-Pot Roast

• Clean and prep your roast into pieces that can easily fit to into your pressure cooker. Salt both sides.

If using a pressure cooker that allows you to saute/cook first:

• Select the "saute" setting and allow the bowl to come to full heat. It will display that it is hot and ready. Pour the oil. Brown each side of the cut pieces. Once complete, cancel or turn off the saute setting.
• Add all of the seasoning ingredients I have listed: salt, pepper, garlic powder (or granulated garlic), paprika, and dried oregano.
• Next, pour-in the tomato sauce, wine, broth, Worcestershire sauce, Balsamic vinegar. There should be just enough liquid to completely cover the meat. If you don't have quite enough, add either more wine, more chicken stock, or water. Put your pressure cooker setting to high pressure for meat, timed to 1 hour. You'll have the top set so that the pressure valve is closed.

• (If using a pressure cooker that does NOT have a "saute" setting.) On your stove, place a saute pan at medium-high heat. Once hot, pour the oil and place meat pieces. Brown each side. Once complete, turn off and remove the beef pieces by placing them in the pressure cooker bowl. Fill the pan with between one half and one cup of water. Turn the heat back on to low and use a wooden spoon to deglaze the pan, and gently scrape the bottom of the pan to release all of the cooked-in flavors from cooking. Set this aside.
• (If using a pressure cooker that does NOT have a "saute" setting.) In the pressure cooker, over the meat, pour in all seasonings, the tomato sauce, broth, Worcestershire sauce, Balsamic vinegar and use all of the water from the saute pan you just deglazed. All of the liquid combined should be just enough to completely cover the meat. Put your pressure cooker setting to high pressure for meat, timed to one hour. I just like that number for this particular recipe. You'll have the top set so that the pressure valve is closed.
• Most of the work is being done in the pressure cooker. Even though you placed it at one hour, it will take plenty of time for the little machine to get to starting that countdown. There's nothing you need to do as it's working hard to get the meat tender and delicious. While it's cooking,prep your vegetables. I like using a combination of carrots, red potatoes and yellow potatoes. Any combination will be great. Any type of potato is great. I peeled the carrots and chopped the pieces to be a similar size. If I was using Russet potatoes, I would have peeled them.
  
• Once the pressure cooker is done cooking the meat, open the top valve, so that all of the pressure is released.
• Open the pressure cooker, remove the meat and place it in the main serving dish. Keep all of the liquid for the next step of cooking the vegetables. I like to serve Pot Roast with the meat plated separately from the veggies so I use one dish large dish and set the meat to one side. It's a good idea to cover the meat once it comes out, but it's not necessary. Spoon some of the liquid onto the meat. Set aside.
  
• Next, place all of the veggies and and select the same high pressure setting, for 3 minutes, with the pressure on and top valve closed. That's it. I told you this was easy! The timeframe to get the veggies through cooking process for the three minutes, and have the pressure released when it is complete, is about ten minutes total. While this is happening, the plating comes out, napkins are getting folded, and I cut some fresh Italian parsley in case anyone wants to sprinkle some to the top of their meal.
• Use a ladle to turn the liquid that is left, and pour more of the juices on top. In a separate container, reserve the juices. You can cook this down if you wish, or as I did last night, keep it as-is for everyone to make as juicy or as wet as they would like. Dinner is served. We typically have white-rice made and on hand for any meal like this, but it's not necessary.
  

making optional gravy

• If you'd like to offer a gravy to top, (my family also has this alongside with rice), all you need to do is take about two cups of the reserved cooking juices from the cooker. Make a roux in a small sauce or sauce pan with a pat of butter melted whisk in the flour. Pour in the cooking juices. While your food is cooling and too hot to serve immediately, whisk to get the lumps out and simmer for about ten minutes. If you still have lumps, strain them before pouring into a bowl or container. Pour over meat, carrots and potatoes (and rice if anyone wants it). This is also great to save with leftovers.