Pot Roast

Print Recipe

I can eat in the best restaurants around, but my moms pot roast was better and still is than any meal I could ask for.  I am so glad that my Grandma Jean would make me try everything on my plate, including the vegetables.  Now I think that vegetables are my favorite food of all.  Sometimes grandmas know best.  I could eat the carrots, onions and potatoes for days from this pot roast.  And when mom got all the veggies fresh from our garden, man it was like being in heaven.

Ingredients

1. One 35-ounce can whole Italian plum tomatoes, with their juices
2. 1/4 cup vegetable oil
3. One 3 3/4-pound boneless chuck roast
4. Salt and freshly ground pepper
5. 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
6. 3 medium onions, coarsely chopped
7. 6 large carrots, thickly sliced
8. 3 medium celery ribs, thickly sliced
9. 3 large garlic cloves, minced
10. 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
11. 2 cups canned beef broth diluted with 2 cups water
12. 1/4 cup soy sauce
13. Pinch of sugar
14. 1 pound medium red new potatoes, quartered

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°. In a blender or food processor, puree the tomatoes with their juices until almost smooth.
2. Heat the vegetable oil in a large enameled cast-iron casserole. Season the roast generously with salt and pepper and add it to the casserole. Brown the meat over moderate heat until crusty all over, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer the roast to a platter.
3. Melt the butter in the casserole. Add the onions, carrots and celery and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until barely softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Sprinkle in the flour and cook, stirring, until incorporated, about 1 minute. Gradually stir in the diluted beef broth. Add the tomatoes, soy sauce, chili sauce and sugar and bring to a simmer.
4. Put the roast back in the casserole. Cover the casserole and cook the meat in the oven for 2 hours, turning it halfway through. Add the potatoes, cover and cook for about 30 minutes longer or until both the meat and the potatoes are fork-tender but not falling apart.
5. Transfer the roast to a cutting board and cover loosely with foil. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the vegetables to a large deep platter, cover and keep warm. Thickly slice the meat across the grain and arrange it on the platter. Return the casserole to high heat and boil the sauce, skimming frequently, until thickened and reduced to about 5 cups. Season the sauce with salt and pepper, pour it over the meat and vegetables and serve.

(you can also do this in your crock pot for dinner ready when you get home from work)