Instant Pot Braised Beef With Creamy Vegetable Gravy

European Inspired

I was inspired to make this dish after trying a Bohemian dish call Svickova. I tried Svickova in a Czech/Slovak restaurant on the South side of Chicago and it was fantastic. It had that all day cooked flavor, the meat was so tender and the gravy rich and creamy. It was served over Czech Bread Dumplings which if you’re not familiar are tender bites of bread that soak in all the meat and gravy juices without getting soggy. They create the perfect bite. I immediate came home and googled recipes to make this dish at home and was met with search results that required 5 days of prep and cooking to make this traditional dish.

I perused countless recipes and finally came up with a plan taking bits and pieces from the different recipes I found, to make this dish using my Instant Pot. While this Instant Pot Braised Beef with Creamy Vegetable Gravy isn’t made in the same tradition as the Bohemian version of Svickova, I do think that the my version mimics the same flavors and textures as the original version. The beauty of this recipe is that it is made in the Instant Pot in 2 hours instead of the 5 day version.

Prepping For The Pot

While you do make this recipe in the Instant Pot, I do recommend roasting your veggies in the oven for 35 minutes before adding them to the Instant Pot so that you get that all day cooked flavor. I give specific steps in the printable recipe below. I also recommend searing your beef in an actual skillet on the stovetop before adding your beef to the Instant Pot. I know that you can sear in the Instant Pot, but I believe doing it first on the stove gets you a more even sear on all sides of the beef,

Spice Is Nice

The other trick to this recipe is really getting a lot of flavor from spices. In my version of this recipe I suggest you use cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, salt, pepper and garlic and onion powders. These spices add layers of flavors to the dish that really make it pop. I don’t include measurements in the written recipe, as I think it is important that you season your food to your own personal tastes. I would suggest using the clove sparingly, as this is a very strong spice. You can always adjust the seasonings once it is all cooked.

Serving It Up

In my recipe I serve the sliced beef and delicious gravy on top of Chateau Bread Dumplings. Chateau Bread Dumplings are a Chicago Handmade Gourmet Food Staple. They are now available in many states and can also be ordered online. You can find out information by CLICKING HERE on where to buy or how to order online. The bread dumplings were invented to soak up gravy from meat so that you can enjoy every drop of the gravy without actually having to lick your plate. If you absolutely can’t get your hands on the dumplings you can also serve this beef with egg noodles, mashed potatoes or rice.

Let’s Get Cooking

A complete, printable version of the recipe is available below. This is a great recipe for a Sunday dinner and makes for great leftovers during the week. I know that you will love the thick creamy gravy and tender beef. Happy Cooking!

Instant Pot Braised Beef With Roasted Vegetable Cream Gravy

Print

This recipe requires just a few extra steps to create a rich vegetable gravy and tender beef that taste great paired with steamed Czech Bread Dumplings. A wonderful Sunday meal that is the ultimate comfort food.

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 2 hours

Total Time 2 hours 15 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 4 to 5 lb Bottom Round Roast
• 2 Large Yellow Onion
• 4 Large Carrots
• 4 Celery Stems
• 1 Lemon Halved
• 1 Cup of Heavy Cream
• 1 Cup of Chicken Broth
• 1/4 Cup Sour Cream
• 2 T of Apple Cider Vinegar
• 1 T of Corn Starch
• 1 C of Water
• 1 Box of Chateau Bread Dumplings for Serving or Extra Wide Egg Noodles
• Cinnamon, Paprika, Salt, Pepper, Clove, Garlic Powder, Onion Powder, Dried Parsley
• Oil for cooking (Vegetable or Corn Oil)

Instructions

1. Bring your bottom round roast to room temperature and dry well with paper towels. Then rub the entire roast in some oil then season the whole roast with garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper. Set aside for 15 minutes.
2. Rough chop your carrots, celery and one onion + the laved lemon, add to a bowl, toss with oil and season well with the salt, pepper, cinnamon,paprika, clove, nutmeg, garlic and onion powder. Spread on a baking sheet and roast for 35 minutes at 375 degrees.
3. Meanwhile, get a skillet hot with some oil and sear your roast on all sides.
4. Turn your instant Pot to the saute setting, add some oil, rough chop the second onion and add to the instant pot. I season this onion the same way as the other veggies. Let them saute until soft.
5. Add your apple cider vinegar and chicken stock to the instant pot, let it all simmer and use your spatula to scrape up any bits from the bottom. Turn off the instant pot.
6. Add your roast to the instant pot as well as the roasted veggies.
7. Turn your instant pot to the manual setting, high, place the lid on and set the timer for 75 minutes. When the timer goes off, let the instant pot naturally release for 15 minutes, then manually release the rest of the steam.
8. Remove the roast from the pot and set on a cutting board to rest, loosely covered with oil while you make the gravy.
9. Set your instant pot back to saute on low and use and immersion blender to puree the vegetables in the pot. If you do not have an immersion blender you can puree the veggies in a blender in batches and add back to the pot.
10. In a small cup, dissolve your corn starch with the water until smooth and slowly add to the simmering vegetable puree, whisking constantly. When it is the desired thickness, turn off the heat, add your cream and stir well to combine, then add your sour cream and whisk until smooth.
11. Slice your beef against the grain and steam your bread dumplings, or boil your egg noodles if you are not using bread dumplings.
12. Place a ladle of gravy on a plate, add your dumplings, some slices of beef and top with more gravy and dried parsley.

Notes

Chateau Bread Dumplings can be found in most grocery stores in the frozen food aisle and can also be ordered online. We love using them with this recipe.