PERFECT POT ROAST

It's comfort food, y'all.

And while it's not exclusive to Nashville, the non-vegan, carnivore crowd loves pot roast.  For me, it's a nostalgic meal.  It reminds me of Sunday dinner, and while it's roasting away slowly, it fills my house with an aroma reminiscent of my mother's and grandmother's kitchens.

Who wouldn't love that?

I'm not gonna talk your ears off this time.  I'm gonna get right to cooking this delicious, fall-apart, melt-in-yo-mouth dinner, and let the pictures do the talking.

Perfect Pot Roast:

(prep time 4-5 hours, servings depend on size of roast)

3-5 lb Chuck Roast

2 Medium Onions, Halved

2 cups Baby Carrots (or more/less to taste)

2 t Thyme, dried

2 t Rosemary, dried

3-4 Garlic Cloves, peeled and smashed

2-4 C Beef Broth

3 T Balsamic Vinegar

2-4 T Olive Oil 

Salt and Pepper to taste (I prefer Himalayan Pink Salt)

Are you ready?

Preheat your oven to 450 degrees F

In a dutch oven (I use the enamel-coated cast iron dutch oven by Cuisinart), heat oil over medium high heat.  Add halved onions, face-down, and carrots.  Rotate veggies until they are golden brown on the edges and your kitchen smells amazing.  

They should look something like this as they cook:

Now, while they're browning, take that hunk of meat and rub it down generously with salt and pepper. Don't forget to check on your veggies, you don't want them to burn, just brown.

They are ready to come out when they look something like this:

mmmm.  I love the smell in my kitchen now.

Now, if your pan looks a little dry, add some more oil.  If you needed to add more, you might wait a minute or a half before you put that salt-and-pepper-rubbed roast in there.  When it's hot, go ahead and put that big 'ol roast in and listen for the sizzle.

You hear that?  That's applause. Praise from the pan.

Now, this is gonna take 1-2 minutes to brown, so lets talk about that cut of meat. Don't be tempted to buy other cuts, you want this fatty gem.  You won't get that moist, tender, fall-apart deliciousness from leaner cuts of beef.  Believe me.

Okay, I think it's been long enough, so turn that roast over.  I use tongs and a fork to prevent dropping it and splashing hot grease on myself.  Once you've turned the roast, the browned side should look something like this:

Okay, we're back to waiting 1-2 minutes for the other side to brown, so here is where I suggest peeling and smashing some garlic cloves.  I like lots of garlic, so depending on their size, I use 3 or 4. Now, when the bottom has browned, you will need to channel your inner-jedi and maneuver the tongs and fork to hold the roast on its side. This can be tricky, depending on the size of your roast, but you can do it.  I believe in you.

Now, once the roast has browned all around, take it out and put it on a plate while you make a magic bath for it- but you have to act quickly so those little browned bits of deliciousness on the bottom of the pan don't burn.

See?  Perfectly browned.

Quick!  Grab your favorite wooden spoon (mine is flat on the end, like a spatula, which is awesome for scraping the bottom of the pan), and add 2 cups of beef broth.  Use the end of that spoon to get the browned bits up off the bottom of the pan.  This is going to be delicious!

Now, add the dried herbs (you can use fresh, I just don't keep them on hand and didn't have them when I wrote the recipe), the smashed garlic cloves, and the balsamic vinegar.  I am usually generous with the vinegar, because I love the flavor it imparts in the beef, but use at least 3 tablespoons (I used 1/4 cup).   The pool is almost ready for the roast and veggies now!

Stir and simmer for a minute or so, and then add your roast back and surround it with the veggies. Your liquid should cover it at least half-way, but if not, it's ok.  Just add a little more broth.  At this point, I usually spoon the liquid over the top of the roast and dust the whole thing with a little more salt and a lot more pepper.  Before it all goes in the oven, turn the heat down to 225. And before you put the lid on the pot, you should take a minute to admire your beautiful masterpiece.

Isn't it beautiful?  Is your mouth watering yet?  Does your kitchen smell like a meat-eater's heaven? If so, tell it you love it, put the lid on, and tuck it away in the oven. (and just in case you missed it above the photo, make sure you've reduced your heat to 225) It will need to stay there 3-5 hours, depending on size.  This beauty was 5lbs, so it cooked to perfection in about 5 hours.  If you are cooking beyond the 3 hour mark (I really recommend at least 4 for best results), reduce your temp at the 3 hour mark to 200 and be patient. And the golden rule is DO NOT OPEN THIS POT until it's done! Okay? Trust me!

About 30-45 minutes before serving this, I start preparing either rice (I prefer brown, which takes about 45 minute) or mashed potatoes.  Use your favorite recipe, and use real potatoes.  This baby deserves real potatoes, not the instant stuff.  I also like to serve either green beans, brussel sprouts, or a simple side salad, but it's totally not necessary.  This is delicious and filling, all on it's own. 

Alright, you are now ready to dig in.  Enjoy it.  And don't think about calories.  Think about how proud your friends and family will be when you serve this to them at your next get-together?

It's perfect, I tell you.  Moist, delicious and comforting.

Until next time, Ciao!