This is not traditional Italian beef. I am an American woman of mostly Irish and English heritage married into a German family; this is not the place for traditional Italian food. However, if you’re looking for a way to prepare a beef roast that doesn’t include potatoes or barbeque sauce, below you will find one of my family’s favorites!

My cooking philosophy is focused on simplicity. I’m busy, you’re busy, and we can all appreciate efficiency, right?! My recipes are basic because I acknowledge that sometimes the extra step or extra ingredient isn’t worth the the extra time or money. This recipe is the perfect example. In fact, this recipe came to be because I read several other highly rated Instant Pot Italian Beef recipes and I determined which parts seemed most important and which were maybe unwarranted extras.

Recipe

Ingredients

• 4-5 lbs beef roast (I like an arm roast for this)
• 1 cup beef broth
• 1/2 cup Worcestershire sauce*
• 1 packet dried Italian Dressing mix

Directions

1. Put all ingredients in the Instant Pot. I usually put the broth in, then the beef, then the seasoning and Worcestershire, but I doubt the order matters much in this recipe.
2. Pressure cook on high for 1.5 hrs (or about 20 min/lb)
3. Natural release for 20-30 min**
4. Shred the beef using two forks (or your preferred method) and remove any bones or chunks of fat.
5. Serve on sandwiches or plain with sides.

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Serving Suggestions

We like to eat this on buns with provolone cheese and pizza sauce. Hoagie rolls are also great, but my kids seem to eat hamburger buns (cut in half) much more neatly, so for now that’s what we do. Our favorite side is tater tots and green beans, but it also great with a pasta salad or a leafy green salad if you don’t have kids (or your kids are weird, in a great way).

Optional Extras

I have added a sliced onion to this recipe, and it was delicious. I have not tried it, but I think pepperoncini peppers (as found in many recipes) would be a great addition as well. Grilled onions and peppers would make great toppings. If you have extra time and energy, toasting the buns makes the sandwiches extra good, but it’s not necessary.

*Once when I was out of Worcestershire, I used low sodium soy sauce with very little difference.

**I have made this with a frozen roast (straight from the deep freeze), and I just increased the pressure cooking time to about 30 min/lb. I couldn’t tell any difference.

My favorite thing about this recipe is that it’s 4 ingredients that I almost always have on hand and it takes less than 5 minutes to get it started as long as I remember to do it a couple of hours before dinner (even if I forget to thaw the roast). Then while the Instant Pot does all the work I can run an errand, get some work done, or hang out with my kiddos. Of course, it’s also very allergy friendly for my oldest son (milk, egg, tree nut, peanut free).

If you give it a try, let me know what you think!