SUNDAY POT ROAST

Around here, we love us a good pot roast. Everyone knows Sunday is the perfect day for a good old fashioned set-it-and-forget-it meal, but unfortunately, sometimes those meals fall short. This one, however, most certainly does not! I love being able to pop dinner in the oven early in the day and spend the rest of the afternoon resting on the couch, dozing off to the smell of pot roast. Sunday naps certainly don’t get better than that! If you didn’t already have a good pot roast recipe in your arsenal, you do now!

If you notice the lack of potatoes, this is due to personal preference. I don’t like the way potatoes become grainy when they cook for so long, so I prefer to cook my potatoes separately. If you want to throw potatoes in there too, go for it!

Sunday Pot Roast
serves 6

Ingredients:

• 1 3-4lb boneless chuck roast, large chunks of fat trimmed (sometimes labeled differently at the store, such as pot roast)

• 4-6 carrots, peeled and cut into large chunks

• 2 medium onions, peeled and cut in half

• 4 large cloves garlic, peeled

• 3/4 c white or red wine

• 4 sprigs fresh thyme

• 4 sprigs fresh rosemary

• 1 large carton chicken broth

Method:

1. Preheat oven 300º. Season meat generously with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Heat a large dutch oven* on high heat. Once hot, add a splash of olive oil to the pan, then sear meat on all sides until browned with a nice crust, about 45 seconds per side.

2. Once meat is browned, remove to a plate. Lower heat to medium-high, add another splash of oil to the dutch oven, and sear carrots, onions, and garlic, being careful not to let the browned bits on the pan burn. Once browned, add wine and stir, scraping up browned bits. After 2-3 minutes, when the alcohol has evaporated out (you can tell by the smell), return the meat to the pan and cover everything with enough chicken broth to cover the meat about 3/4 of the way up.

3. Place sprigs of rosemary and thyme into the pot, and be sure to immerse them in the liquid. Put the lid on the dutch oven, and place it in the oven.

4. Allow to cook 3-4 hours, or until meat falls apart easily when pierced with a fork. If meat does not fall apart easily when you check it, fear not! It’s not ruined. This only means it needs more time.

5. When meat is done, taste it and add more salt if necessary (it will most likely be necessary).

6. Serve with boiled or mashed potatoes, or any side of your choice.

NOTES:

• If you don’t have a dutch oven, this can easily be made in a crockpot as well! Just sear everything in a pan. After you deglaze the pan with the wine and scrape up all the browned bits, just transfer everything to a crockpot and add the wine and herbs. Then cook on high for 3-4 hours or on low for 6-8 hours.