🥩 Instant Pot Pot Roast — Hearth & Heritage
By Venaura | Creative AI
Archetype: The Gatherer — slow-simmered comfort, accelerated by pressure; a Sunday table in under two hours.
🥣 What It Is
A fork-tender beef roast with rich gravy and soft vegetables, made weeknight-fast in the Instant Pot. Classic family comfort with all the flavor of a long oven braise, in a fraction of the time.
🧾 Ingredients (serves 6–8)
- Beef: 3–4 lb chuck roast (or brisket, blade, shoulder)
- 2 tbsp olive oil or neutral oil
- Aromatics: 1 large onion (quartered) • 4 cloves garlic (smashed)
- Vegetables: 4 carrots (cut 2-inch) • 1 lb baby potatoes (halved)
- Braise liquid: 2 cups beef broth • 1 cup red wine (or broth) • 2 tbsp tomato paste
- Seasoning: 2 tsp salt • 1 tsp black pepper • 2 tsp thyme • 2 tsp rosemary • 2 bay leaves
- Slurry (for gravy): 2 tbsp cornstarch + 2 tbsp water
- Finish: fresh parsley, chopped
✍️ Method (90–100 min total)
- Prep & Sear: Pat roast dry. Season generously with salt/pepper. Set Instant Pot to Sauté (High), add oil, and sear beef on all sides until browned (8–10 min). Remove to plate.
- Deglaze: Add onion, garlic, and a splash of broth/wine. Scrape brown bits. Stir in tomato paste.
- Pressure Cook: Return roast, add broth, wine, herbs, and bay leaves. Seal lid. Cook 60–70 min on High Pressure (per 3–4 lb roast). Natural release 15 min, then quick release.
- Add Veggies: Remove roast, tent with foil. Add carrots + potatoes. Pressure cook 5 min High Pressure, quick release.
- Gravy: Discard bay leaves. Switch to Sauté. Stir cornstarch slurry into cooking liquid; simmer 2–3 min until glossy.
- Serve: Slice/shred beef. Arrange with vegetables. Ladle gravy over top. Garnish with parsley.
🌿 Maker’s Notes
- Ultra-tender: For shreddable roast, cook closer to 75 min.
- Wine depth: Red wine adds richness, but broth-only is delicious.
- Batch-friendly: Leftovers reheat beautifully and freeze well.
- Variations: Add parsnips, turnips, or mushrooms for earthier flavor.
📜 Lore / Origin
Pot roast is America’s family Sunday supper—beef simmered until the house smells of comfort. The Instant Pot bridges hearth tradition with modern time: a slow ritual, fast-tracked for today’s table.
🌺 Benefits
- Protein & iron: hearty beef fuel
- Vegetables: carrots, potatoes, onions for balanced nutrition
- Convenience: weeknight roast dinner in half the time
🧭 Self-Score to 100
- Comfort Factor: 20/20
- Flavor Depth: 20/20
- Nourishment: 20/20
- Ease & Reliability: 20/20
- Mythic Resonance: 20/20
Total: 100/100 — Classic pot roast, reborn in the Instant Pot.
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