Italian Pot Roast (Stracotto) -- Pressure Cooker

FryBoy

New member
Made this for dinner tonight. It's another very easy pressure cooker recipe, and the results were better than one might expect from the simple ingredients. I'm not sure why it's considered Italian as there are no typical Italian herbs in it, but it is good, and it reminds me of much of the food I've eaten in Italy -- simpler than what we Americans usually think of as Italian.

Serve it over pasta or noodles, or do it the Italian way and serve the sauce and pasta as a first course, then the sliced meat and remaining sauce as the main course.

I used a boneless cross-cut chuck roast that I got a Von's for $2.99 a pound; it's one of my favorite cuts for pot roast or cut up for stews -- very flavorful, very tender, and fairly lean. Avoid really heavy or very oaky wines, such as most Cabernets, or very light wines, such as Beaujolais (this is true for most dishes calling for red wine).

Italian Pot Roast
Stracotto

1 3¼-pound boneless pot roast (rump, bottom round, or chuck)
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 large onion, chopped
2 medium carrots, peeled and sliced about ½" thick
2 medium celery stalks, sliced about ½" thick
2 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
½ cup good quality red wine, such as Pinot Noir
1 28-ounce can of chopped tomatoes

1. Trim excess fat from roast.

2. Heat a 5- to 7-quart pressure cooker over medium heat; add 1 tablespoon olive oil, then add the roast and brown well on all sides, about 5 to 10 minutes total.

3. Transfer browned roast to a plate and season with salt and pepper on all sides.

4. Discard any excess fat in the pressure cooker, then add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil and heat over medium heat.

5. Add the onion, carrot, celery, and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin to soften, about 2 to 4 minutes.

6. Add the wine to the pot and bring to boil; use a spoon to scrape up any brown bits from the bottom of the pot.

7. Add the canned tomatoes and their juices and bring to boil.

8. Return the meat to the pot, along with any juices that have accumulated on the plate.

9. Lock the pressure cooker's lid in place and bring to high pressure over high heat; adjust heat to maintain high pressure and cook for 1¼ hours.

10. Remove pan from heat and release pressure using quick-release met hind, then carefully remove the lid, tilting it away from you to block any remaining steam.

11. Transfer meat to a serving platter and let it stand for 10 minutes, covered with foil.

12. Skim any excess fat from the surface of the sauce; cut meat into thick slices and serve with the sauce and pasta or noodles of your choice.

Makes 4 to 6 servings.
 

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