This is not your typical pot roast. First off, it is made with pork and not beef, but you can certainly make it with beef if you do not eat pork. Secondly, pot roast is traditionally browned and then cooked low and slow with vegetables and lots of liquid. Not so with this recipe. While the meat is browned, the pressure cooker speeds up the cooking time with a little liquid, sans vegetables. Think of this recipe as stovetop roasting instead of in the oven.
Like oven roasts, give the meat an overnight seasoning and let the meat rest for the suggested time before cutting in to it. Oven roasts develop their colour from a combination of the seasoning added as well as the interaction it has with the surround hot air in an oven. The key to ensuring that your meat comes out looking as attractive as an oven roast is to take the time to brown the meat all over before setting it to cook through.
SPECIAL EQUIPMENT
- 6 quart or larger pressure cooker
- Paring knife
INGREDIENTS
- 1 x 6 pound shoulder roast (bone-in or boneless)
- Dry all-purpose seasoning or an herb paste
- Salt to taste (see note below)
- 3 tablespoons oil
- 1 cup hot water
DIRECTIONS
- Rinse and pat dry meat. If there is skin, score the skin with a diamond shape or cross ways. Be careful not to cut the meat itself. Using a knife, make deep incisions in the meat between the scored skin and fat.
- Generously season the meat all over with all purpose seasoning, herb paste and salt to taste. Transfer to a large bowl or container with cover, or a 2-gallon zip bag; cover, seal and put in the refrigerator to marinate overnight.
- Remove the roast from the fridge at least 1 hour before you are ready to cook to bring it up to room temperature. Pat dry the meat to remove any moisture. Pat, do not rub.
- Add the oil to the pressure pot, swirl it to coat the bottom of the pot and place on high or medium high heat until smoking hot. Brown the meat skin-side down first, followed by the sides and then the bottom. This process can take anywhere from 20 to 30 minutes.
- Turn the meat skin side up to cook. Pour in the hot water, cover the pressure cooker and bring up to pressure (first whistle or constant hiss depending on your cooker). When the cooker is up to pressure, reduce the heat to low and cook for 30 minutes (see notes for additional cooking times).
- Remove the pressure cooker from the heat and release the pressure to open the cooker. Return to heat and raise heat to high or medium high to reduce the liquid until thick like caramel or dry.
- Let rest in the pressure cooker uncovered for at least 20 minutes before removing, cutting and serving.
NOTES
- If the all-purpose seasoning you are using already has salt, do not add more. If you are making a fresh herb paste, add enough salt to taste to the paste itself rather than having to add salt separately.
- The recommended time in the recipe is for the stipulated weight and cut of meat. If you are using the same cut but with less or more weight, average 5 minutes per pound – this time is separate from the browning. If using leg cut for this dish, average 3 minutes per pound of meat.
