Rosemary-Orange Pot Roast
Not quite your mother’s pot roast... This version has the tender meat and robust gravy of childhood memories, but it is distinguished by a subtle accent of rosemary and orange zest and a creamy sauce made with whole-grain mustard. A puree of wintered-over root vegetables, such as celery root, rutabaga or parsnips, would make a perfect accompaniment for an early spring meal. For a leaner pot roast, choose bottom round or rump roast. Chuck roast is a bit more tender, but fattier.
From EatingWell: March/April 2010
Yield: 8 servings
Active Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 2 1/4 hours
Ingredients
Pot Roast
- 3 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- 2 large onions, halved and thinly sliced (4 cups)
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
- 2 teaspoons freshly grated orange zest
- 1 3-pound bottom round roast, rump roast or chuck roast, trimmed
- 1/4 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
- 1/2 cup dry red wine
- 1/2 cup reduced-sodium beef broth
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch, plus more as needed
- 1 tablespoon water, plus more as needed
Grainy Mustard Sauce
- 1/4 cup low-fat mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup low-fat plain yogurt
- 2 tablespoons whole-grain mustard
- Freshly ground pepper to taste
Preparation
- To prepare pot roast: Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a 4-quart or larger pressure cooker over medium-high heat. Add onions; cook, stirring often, until softened and starting to brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Add garlic, rosemary and orange zest; cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 10 seconds. Remove from heat.
- Sprinkle beef with 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper. Heat the remaining 1 teaspoon oil in a large skillet, preferably cast-iron, over medium heat. Add the beef; cook, turning from time to time, until well browned on all sides, 5 to 8 minutes (see Tip). Transfer the beef to the pressure cooker, nestling it among the onions. Add wine to the skillet; bring to a boil, stirring to scrape up browned bits. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add broth and bring to a simmer. Pour the mixture over the beef in the pressure cooker.
- Secure the pressure cooker lid. Bring to high pressure over high heat following the manufacturer’s directions. Reduce the heat to the lowest setting that maintains high pressure. Cook for 1 1/2 hours if using bottom round or rump, 1 hour if using chuck.
- Let the pressure release naturally. This will take 5 to 20 minutes. Check the roast: it should not show any resistance when pierced with a sharp knife. If it is not tender, secure the lid and return to high pressure. Cook 5 minutes, release the pressure naturally, then check again.
- To prepare mustard sauce: Meanwhile, combine mayonnaise, yogurt, mustard and pepper in a small bowl.
- Transfer the roast to a clean cutting board. Cover loosely with foil and let rest for 5 to 10 minutes. Skim fat from the liquid in the cooker. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Combine cornstarch and water in a small bowl; add to the liquid and cook, whisking, until the gravy thickens slightly, about 1 minute. (If you want it thicker, combine an additional 2 teaspoons cornstarch with 1 tablespoon water and stir into the simmering gravy until thickened.) Season to taste with salt and pepper. Slice the meat and serve with the gravy and the mustard sauce.
- Make Ahead Tip: Cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days. Reheat sliced pot roast with gravy in a skillet over medium-low heat. The mustard sauce can be covered and refrigerated separately for up to 2 days. | Equipment: 4-quart or larger pressure cooker
- Tip: Although it is possible to brown meat in a pressure cooker, its depth (and the bell-like shape of some models) can make it awkward, especially when you are dealing with a roast. It’s usually more efficient to brown meats in a skillet before adding to the pressure cooker.
- High-Altitude Tip: For every 1,000 feet above 2,000 feet elevation, increase the cooking time by 5%.
- Conventional-Stove Variation: Preheat oven to 325˚F. In Step 1, replace the pressure cooker with a 4- to 6-quart Dutch oven. After sautéing onions, garlic, rosemary and orange zest, transfer to a plate. Brown the meat (Step 2) in the same pot. Add the onion mixture back to the pot along with the broth. Press a piece of parchment paper directly on the surface and cover the pot with a lid. Transfer to the oven and bake until the beef is tender, 2 1/2 to 3 hours.
Nutrition Per serving:
286 calories; 10 g fat (3 g sat, 5 g mono); 72 mg cholesterol; 7 g carbohydrates; 0 g added sugars; 36 g protein; 1 g fiber; 304 mg sodium; 387 mg potassium.
Nutrition Bonus: Zinc (57% daily value), Iron (18% dv)
1/2 Carbohydrate Serving
Exchanges: 1/2 vegetable, 5 lean meat