Sunday Pot Roast

Pot roast is one of those classic American dishes that I am always trying to perfect. Pot roast is a paradoxical dish: it contains the least expensive ingredients and the most expensive .

A less expensive cut of meat is often used. Many cuts will do, but I like a 7-bone chuck roast. The bone adds that essential gelatin to the end broth. Added to the mix is a variety of root vegetables and herbs. Parsnips and turnips are not the most common of vegetables, but both add a spicy layer of flavor to the mix of carrots, potatoes and onions. The final ingredient, the most expensive ingredient, is time.

Braising is a method of cooking meats and vegetables slowly at low temperature. Tough cuts, like chuck, lose connective tissue and end fork tender and full of flavor.

Recipe #15 Pot Roast

2-4 pounds 7-bone chuck roast
Can of tomatoes
Red potatoes
Turnips
Parsnips
Carrots
Onions
Celery
Garlic cloves
Parsley
Salt / Pepper
Red wine

Remove excess fat and sear the roast on both sides. Browning the roast will add flavor to the cooking liquid and gravy. It is an extra step, but worth it in the end.

Place the roast in a pan and add enough liquid to cover about ¾ of the meat. The braising liquid can be water, but adding canned broth, bouillon, a little red wine, or any combination will add a lot of depth to the gravy. Add a couple of small onions, a few stalks of celery and a couple of garlic cloves.

Tightly cover the pan. Use foil if your roasting pan does not have a lid. Place in a 300 degree oven.

After 2 ½ hours check the level of liquid and add water if necessary. Check the seasoning and add some dried parsley. Turn roast over and add chunks of potatoes, parsnips, carrots, and turnips around the roast. Cover and return to oven for an additional 1 ½ hours. Total cooking time is about 4 hours.

Remove the roast from pan. Skim fat from surface of the gravy. Thicken the gravy with a little flour. Make a lot. Pot roast is a dish that may even be better re-heated.