Cutting the roast into 2-inch thick strips lets the extra-high heat in a pressure cooker do its work, and lets this recipe finish with less than an hour of pressure cooking.

1 tablespoon vegetable oil; 2½ to 3½ pound beef chuck roast, about 3 inches thick ; 1 large onion, diced; 8 ounces sliced mushrooms; ½ teaspoon fine sea salt ...

2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper; 1 teaspoon ground cumin; 1 teaspoon chili powder (optional) 1⅔ pound chuck roast, cut in half, in necessary, to fit in Instant Pot; 2 tablespoons cooking oil ...

Turn on your Instant Pot by pressing “Sauté,” then press “Adjust” so it is set to high. Add the vegetable oil and, once it is very hot, sear the roast on all sides to create a crust.

Pat the roast dry with paper towels and generously salt and pepper all sides of the roast. 3. Once the pan is hot, add the roast and sear on all sides until a crust forms, about 3 minutes per side. 4.