Someone asked me yesterday, "So what's for dinner?" I get that question a lot, and my answer was simple, "Pot Roast". Well, that opened up a can of worms. No, I don't put canned worms in my pot roast, but I DO put vegetables. "Which ones?", he asked. "Onions, carrots, sometimes potatoes", I said politely. The next question: "Do you sear the meat or just throw it in the oven?"My reply, "I sear 100% of the time; I want the browned, caramelized exterior on the beef and the little brown bits that cling to the bottom of the pan and ultimately work their way into the sauce". I won't bore you with the rest of the questions, just know that the conversation took about as long as a roast takes in the oven.
Regarding the roast, the truth is, it was a busy weeknight and we got home later than expected. I basically stood at the stove and, after the meat was browned on all sides, dumped ingredients in straight from the refrigerator door. And guess what? It was the best pot roast ever. Give it a try and let me know how your make YOURS!
Note: I didn't measure ingredients, but this is pretty close...
No Debate Pot Roast
As you can see, this is a VERY straightforward, dump-and-stir recipe. Feel free to add ingredients, such as bay leaves, root vegetables, beer, wine, pearl onions, olives, and so on. You can't mess it up, trust me.
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 boneless chuck roast (about 2-2 1/2 pounds)
Salt and black pepper
2 cups baby carrots
1 cup chopped yellow onion
2 cups beef or chicken stock
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
3 springs fresh thyme
Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.
Heat the oil in a large, oven-proof pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Season the roast all over with salt and pepper and add to the hot pan. Sear the roast until browned on all sides. Add the remaining ingredients and bring to a simmer.
Cover the pot, transfer to the oven and cook for 3 hours, until the meat pulls apart when tested with a fork.
Serves 4
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