I’ve owned my Kambrook pressure cooker for almost a year, and this was my first time roasting beef in it — definitely not my last. I would normally have cooked this roast on the Weber Q for about 1½ hours, but a last-minute change of plans meant I didn’t have that time. The pressure cooker was the perfect solution.
I seared the meat, added the vegetables and stock, and set it to cook. Thirty minutes later I released the pressure and opened the lid to find a beautifully cooked, succulent roast beef. It was lightly pink in the centre, exactly how roast beef should be, and it practically melted in your mouth. I was surprised it took me so long to try this method; it was quick, easy to clean, and the flavour was fantastic.
INGREDIENTS
1.2 kg beef blade roast
1 cup chicken stock
4 button mushrooms, sliced
1 onion, sliced
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 tbsp corn flour
METHOD
1. Brown the top (fat side) of the roast. I used the pressure cooker’s sauté function; if your cooker doesn’t have one, sear the meat on the stove first.
2. Add the chicken stock, sliced mushrooms, sliced onion, and a little salt and pepper. Set the cooker to roast or to 30 minutes, then close and bring to pressure.
3. When the 30 minutes are up, release the steam according to your cooker’s instructions and open the lid. Remove the roast and set it aside to rest while you make the gravy.
4. Make a slurry by mixing the corn flour with about 1/8 cup (half of a 1/4 cup) of cold water. Stir the slurry into the liquid left in the cooker. Use the sauté setting and stir continuously until the sauce thickens into a smooth gravy. If your pressure cooker doesn’t have a sauté function, transfer the liquid to a saucepan and thicken on the stove.
Slice the beef and serve with steamed vegetables and mashed potatoes, spooning the mushroom and onion gravy over the top. Any leftover roast and vegetables make great sandwiches or can be transformed into leftover roast triangles.