Easy Keto Balsamic Beef Pot Roast
This super easy and delicious low carb beef pot roast recipe can be made on the stove, in the slow cooker, or even in your Instant Pot! Keto, Atkins and Paleo friendly!
This super easy and delicious low carb beef pot roast recipe can be made on the stove, in the slow cooker, or even in your Instant Pot! Keto, Atkins and Paleo friendly!
- Carbohydrate 40.8209690342209 g
- Cholesterol 116.928000098845 mg
- Fat 30.4908940257679 g
- Fiber 0.0833699989318848 g
- Protein 27.5279550232116 g
- Saturated Fat 18.5133480156482 g
- Serving Size 1 1 4 oz serving (452g)
- Sodium 792.228081098912 mg
- Sugar 40.737599035289 g
- Trans Fat 1.56938600132589 g
- Calories 542 calories
Step-by-step
- Season the Chuck roast with salt, pepper, and garlic powder on both sides.
- In a large heavy bottomed pan sear both sides of the roast until browned. Deglaze the pan with the balsamic vinegar and cook for one minute.
- Add the water and onion to the pan. Bring to a boil.
- Cover and simmer on low for 3 to 4 hours.
- Carefully remove the meat from the pan to a large bowl. Break carefully into chunks and remove any large pieces of fat or other refuse.
- Whisk the xanthan gum into the broth and add the meat back to the pan.
- Serve over "Better Than Potatoes" Cheesy Cauliflower Purée, garnished with lots of fresh chopped parsley.
- Cut your chuck roast in half so you have two pieces. Season the roast with the salt, pepper, and garlic powder on all sides. Using the saute feature on the instant pot, brown the roast pieces on both sides.
- Add 1/4 cup of balsamic vinegar, 1 cup water, and 1/2 cup onion to the meat. Cover and seal, then using the manual button set the timer for 40 minutes. When the timer runs out, release the pressure by moving the lever to the "venting" setting. Once all the pressure is released, uncover the pot.
- Carefully remove the meat from the pan to a large bowl. Break carefully into chunks and remove any large pieces of fat or other refuse.
- Use the saute function to bring the remaining liquid to a boil in the pot, and simmer for 10 minutes to reduce.
- Whisk in the xanthan gum, then add the meat back to the pan and stir gently.
- Turn off the heat and serve hot over cauliflower puree, garnished with lots of fresh chopped parsley.
Raw beef chuck is laced with tough connective tissue that refuses to yield under high heat without moisture and time. Collagen requires sustained temperatures above 160 degrees Fahrenheit over several hours to fully hydrolyze into gelatin, shifting the meat texture from tough to tender. Searing the exterior first triggers the Maillard reaction, developing complex savory flavor compounds through the reaction of amino acids and reducing sugars. Deglazing the pan lifts those browned fond particles into the liquid, ensuring they contribute to the braising medium rather than scorching.
- Trim large exterior fat caps before braising because rendered surface fat adds grease rather than body to the final sauce.
- Whisk xanthan gum vigorously into warm liquid to prevent clumping, utilizing a ratio of one-quarter teaspoon per two cups of total volume for optimal thickening.
- Pressure cooking reduces total processing time to 40 minutes at high pressure by raising the boiling point of water and accelerating collagen breakdown.
- Allow the pressure cooker to release steam completely through the venting valve before opening to prevent rapid boiling that forces moisture out of the meat fibers.
Gelatin provides natural mouthfeel, but xanthan gum reinforces the sauce viscosity without requiring prolonged reduction. Proper simmering transforms tough shoulder cuts into tender morsels ready for serving.
