A Peruvian Sunday pot roast made for serving with plenty of gravy. The beef stays tender yet sliceable, surrounded by a dark tomato, ají panca, and wine sauce that runs straight into silky yellow-potato mash. Generous home cooking built for second helpings.
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Finely chop the onion, cut the carrot into small cubes and the tomato into small pieces; peel the yellow potatoes as well and cut them into large chunks for the mash. Pat the beef roast very dry and season it with the cumin, half the pepper, and 40% of the salt, pressing the seasoning over the entire surface.
Heat the oil in the pressure cooker over medium-high heat. Add the beef roast and brown it for 8 to 10 minutes total, turning with tongs until it develops a deep brown crust on all major sides. Do not keep moving it; let each side color properly before turning. Remove the beef and keep all the browned fond in the pot.
Reduce the heat to medium and add the onion and carrot to the same pot. Cook for 5 to 6 minutes, scraping up the fond, until the onion is soft and beginning to brown around the edges. Add the ground garlic and ají panca paste and cook for 1 more minute; add the tomato and continue cooking for 4 to 5 minutes, until softened and the base looks juicy but concentrated. Pour in the red wine, scrape the bottom thoroughly, and boil for 2 minutes, until the sharp alcoholic aroma has faded.
Return the beef to the pot and add 15% of the water, the bay leaf, 25% of the salt, and the remaining pepper. Lock the pressure cooker and, once full pressure is reached, cook for 45 minutes. As soon as the pressure cooking is stable, begin the mashed potatoes in the next step so both components cook at the same time.
Place the yellow potatoes in a pot with the remaining 85% of the water and simmer for 18 to 22 minutes, until a knife slides through the center without resistance. Drain very thoroughly and rice the potatoes while still hot. Return them to low heat, add the butter, the remaining salt, and the milk gradually while stirring for 3 to 4 minutes, until the mash is silky, creamy, and holds a soft ridge when the spatula passes through it.
After the 45 minutes, turn off the cooker and let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes before opening. Remove the bay leaf and the beef; the meat should be tender when pierced while still firm enough to slice cleanly. Let it rest for 8 minutes while boiling the sauce uncovered for 5 to 7 minutes, crushing the softened vegetables with the spoon, until it becomes thick, glossy, and lightly coats the back of the spoon. Slice the beef against the grain and return the slices to the sauce just long enough to warm through. Serve over the mash with plenty of gravy. And that's it! If the beef slices without falling apart and the mash catches the sauce without turning soupy, you nailed a proper home-style asado 😌
