Pot Roast
Nothing says “comfort food” more than a pot roast. A juicy piece of meat slowly simmered in a pot of broth and vegetables. Served with a couple of dollops of mashed potatoes it makes the perfect belly-filling meal.
My recipe includes tomatoes which I think add to the taste of the gravy once the meat is cooked. It also seems to give the gravy a silkiness which is sometimes missing with just a broth-based braising liquid.
- 1 3 to 4 pound roast, usually a less expensive, fatty cut like a rump roast or chuck roast
- 1/2 medium red onion, large dice
- 2 stalks celery, large dice
- 1 medium carrot, large dice
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 2 bay leaves
- 3 sprigs thyme, or 1 teaspoon dried
- 1 can (14 oz) low sodium chicken broth
- 1 can (14 oz) diced tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons vegetable or canola oil
- flour for coating the meat
- kosher salt
- freshly ground pepper
In a one gallon plastic storage bag add about 3 tablespoons of flour, a teaspoon of salt and about 1/2 teaspoon of freshly ground pepper. Add the meat to the bag and shake until the meat is evenly coated in the flour.
In a dutch oven or pot heat the vegetable oil over medium high heat until shimmering. Add the meat to the pot and brown on all sides, about 3 minutes per side. The flour should create a thin crust on the meat. Remove the meat once browned. Add the onion, celery, carrot, and bay leaves to the pot and saute for about 5 minutes. Add the garlic cloves to the pot whole and saute another 2 minutes. Add the meat back to the pot. Add the chicken broth and the tomatoes to the pot along with the sprigs of thyme. Bring the liquid to a simmer, cover the pot, and place in a 300 degree oven for up to 4 hours. The meat should be turned at least once during the cooking cycle to make sure the meat is uniformly moist.
Remove the meat from the pot and cover with aluminum foil. Allow to rest for at least 20 minutes. Drain the liquid from the pot removing all of the solid pieces of the vegetables in the process. Skim the fat from the liquid and return the liquid to the pot to reduce by about half. To thicken add one table spoon of corn starch to two tablespoons of water. Dissolve the corn starch and add to the liquid in the pot. Stir constantly until the mixture thickens. Taste for salt and pepper and adjust accordingly.
Cut the roast across the grain into serving slices. Top with the gravy from the pot. The roast should serve about 4 to 6 people.