So if you’re Italian, you’ve probably made a pot of Sunday gravy at least once or twice in your lifetime. According to my Italian-American friends that’s what you do on the weekends, make sauce and have a big meal with family and friends. I am not Italian, but I come from a family that has its share of gatherings, and we too enjoy a pot of good sauce on any day, especially when it’s made faster in an electric pressure cooker.
Creating the perfect sauce doesn’t require a lot of ingredients, but it does take a little time to cook if you are using the conventional method of cooking, low and slow on the stove top. However, an Instant Pot or pressure cooker can cut down on time and create a rich and hardy sauce, that even the most authentic Italians would approve of.
You start by browning a piece of chuck seasoned with salt and pepper. Then, add a can of crushed tomatoes and a bit of onions and garlic, and set the timer to 100 minutes and it’s full steam ahead, so to speak. The sauce turns out lusciously meaty with just the right consistency. It’s easy to shred with two forks and it becomes the ultimate sauce for tossing with pasta, or ladled over spaghetti squash. This recipe makes a big batch, which makes it nice for leftovers for days to come.
Ingredients
3 pound chuck roast
1 white onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
28 ounces crushed tomatoes
1 cup white wine
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 teaspoons dried oregano
pinch of red pepper flakes
olive oil
salt & pepper
*cooked pasta for serving
(Serves 8)
To Prepare:
1. Cut the roast into several pieces and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Set Instant Pot to Sauté and add 2 tablespoons olive oil. After 2 minutes, add meat in batches and brown on all sides. Remove and set aside.
2. Add onion and garlic and sauté for 2 minutes. Add tomatoes, wine, tomato paste, oregano, red pepper flakes, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, stir. Place meat back into pot and hit Cancel. Lock lid on top and set pot to Meat or Manual, and cook on high pressure for 100 minutes.
3. Let pressure release manually and remove lid. Shred meat with tongs or two forks, breaking apart as you stir. Serve ragu tossed with spaghetti, linguine or fettuccine pasta or squash. Enjoy!
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