Pot roast was one of my mother’s favorite dishes. I love pot roast but don’t make it very often. Mike wanted beef for Father’s Day — and June 2010 is summer in Seattle in name only — so I decided pot roast would be just the ticket!
Ingredients
- ~3 lb. beef chuck roast (serves four generously with left-overs)
- 3 T olive oil
- Mrs. Dash
- 1 c red wine (I used Zin because a bottle was open)
- 1 (14-ounce) can chicken broth (I use Trader Joe’s organic – you may also use beef broth)
- 1/4 c Worchestershire sauce
- 1/4 c red wine vinegar
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 t sugar
- 1/2 t salt
- carrots – chopped (I used three large organic carrots)
- onions – quartered (I used two Vidalias – I wish they were available year-round!)
- red-skinned potatoes – halved (I used about a pound)
- 3-4T flour
Preparation
Pre-heat oven to 325.
Heat the olive oil (medium-high) in a heavy pan (I use cast-iron). Season the roast with Mrs. Dash; brown on all sides. Remove from heat and place in oven-save dutch oven with a few chopped carrots and half of one onion.
In the pan used to brown the meat, add all the liquids, sugar, salt, bay leaf. Scrape to loosen any brown bits. Pour over the meat and cover. Bake in a 325 degree oven for ~2 hours until the roast is almost tender.
Take the pan from the over. Turn the roast over; discard bay leaf. Add the rest of the vegetables and make sure there is still plenty of liquid. Return to the oven and cook for another 1-1.5 hours.
Remove roast and vegetables from the pan; cover to keep warm.
Gravy: Pour the liquid into a container; add water to make 2-2.5 cups. Add about 3T liquid to the pan used to brown the meat (medium/medium-low heat). Add the flour, 1T at a time, whisking steadily to prevent lumps. Add the remainder of the liquid slowly, whisking steadily to maintain smooth consistency. If the gravy isn’t thick enough, consider adding a small amount of cornstarch. (Be sure to put the cornstarch in a separate bowl and add liquid to it, stirring thoroughly; then add the cornstarch mixture to the gravy.) [New to making gravy? See this article.]
To serve: Shred meat with two forks. Serve with root vegetables and gravy. Green beans are a nice accompaniment.
WiredPen 