Pot Roast w/ Lentils, and Grass Fed Beef

What makes pot roast different than beef stew? Well, if you ask me the ingredients are basically the same, but the flavor of pot roast comes from red wine, and tomato.

beef, 2-3 lb. chuck roast or any other braising cut recommended by your butcher

onion, 1 lg

carrot, 2-3 diced

celery, 2-3 diced

garlic, of course

tomatoes, 6-8 fresh, peeled and diced, or 1 can

tomato paste, 2tbl.

red wine, 1-1/2 c.

water or stock, 4-6 c.

S & P

optional seasoning, dried or fresh

thyme

rosemary

oregano

I don't care for potatoes, so I decided to try lentils. I used three different kinds, because I had them, but if I was using only one kind I would use the brown or green. Red lentils tend to break down, losing their shape, and the look of our food, like the flavor is part of the eating experience, IMO. Lentils don't take long to cook in the PC, so I cooked the roast for 20 min. released he pressure, added the lentils, brought the pressure back up for an additon 10 min., turned off the heat and let the pressure come down naturally.

Traditional pot roast can take 2-3 1/2 hours in the oven, but in the PC you can have it all done in about an hours time, prep and all.

Pot Roast w/ Lentils

Brown all sides of beef in oil, and remove.

Add diced onion, carrot, celery, saute until onions are translucent, 5-10 min. add garlic in the last minute.

Add any seasoning and deglaze the pot with red wine.

Add tomatoes (juice and all), and tomato paste.

Add beef, and enough water or stock to cover veggies and about half way up the roast (4-6 c.), and 1 tsp salt.

Cover and lock PC, bring pressure to high, cook for 20 min. Quick release pressure (follow PC intructions), add 2 cups of dried lentils, cover, bring pressure back to high. cook additional 10 min., turn off heat and let the pressure come down naturally.

I liked this recipe so much I'll be making it again today!

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Common grades of beef available at markets these days are basically.....

Hormone and antibiotic injected corn fed beef.

Hormone and antibiotic injected, organic corn fed beef.

No hormone or antibiotic injected, organic corn fed beef.

No hormone or antibiotic injected, grass fed beef (I'm assuming organic grass feed)

The first ime I made this recipe, last week, I chose to buy a "grass fed" beef chuck roast @ $7.99lb., that ended up costing me almost $20 for a roast just over 2lbs. The meat was disappointedly lacking in flavor, I can only assume it was because it's leaner, and I was also disappointed that the option of a roast with a bone wasn't available. Why did I chose grass fed?

I believe we should buy the best quality of foods we can afford. At this time in my life, I can afford the highest grade of meat, and taking into consideration how little meat I eat, it's still cost effective. BUT, I don't understand why I can't get "bone-in" cuts of grass fed beef. All of the cuts available at Whole Foods come to the store already boned out. I haven't yet found the answer why. So for the sake of flavor, and the option of bone-in cuts of meat, I have to decide whether or not the fact that a "corn fed" cow is something can feel good about, afterall I've lived 45 years on corn fed beef! Hormone and antibiotic free meat is the most important quality to me right now.

One thing I know I'm fine about is eating meat, and I won't get into a debate on why, there's no need. And I'm not going to try and educate anyone on all of the differences btween corn fed and grass fed, because I, myself, am still learning. So if anyone is interested in becoming more aware if the differences that are important to them, then there is plenty of information regarding this subject, online or in books. I'll continue to learn as I go......and make my choices accordingly.