Slow Cooked Pot Roast

Our pot roast is our favorite recipe.  It is easy to prepare and can make economical cuts like chuck and round roasts very tender and flavorful. 

One 3-4 lb chuck, round, shank or brisket roast

2 medium onions

3 carrots

3 stalks of celery with or without leaves

1 tsp salt

½ tsp pepper

1 tsp of dried thyme or 1 tbl fresh chopped

½ tsp of dried marjoram or 1 tbl fresh chopped

one whole bay leaf

Serves 6

Choose an oven safe dutch oven pot large enough to hold your roast and vegetables.  Add the thawed roast to the pot and fill with enough water to cover the roast by about an inch or so.  Peel and quarter the onions.  Peel and cut the carrots into three inch pieces.  Trim the celery into three inch pieces and add it with or without leaves.  Add the spices to the pot and the preparation is done.

It is essential that you cover the pot to keep the water inside.  Place the entire covered pot in the oven to cook at 300F.  Cook a minimum of six hours and up to 12 hours.  Make sure that the water is not evaporating and add water if necessary.  We cook this overnight or you can put this in the oven before going to work and have a meal ready when you return home.  If you are nervous about leaving a pot in the oven while away, test it first while you are home to make sure the water doesn't evaporate.  We cook ours in a Revere ware Dutch oven for 12 hours without needing to add water.  A crock-pot can also be used.

Variations:

The above recipe produces a great roast with very little preparation time.  But if you have the time, there are some interesting variations you can try.

1) When the roast is done remove it from the pot.  Put the pot on the stove top and strain out the soft vegetables.  Simmer the juices until they are reduced by half.  Add freshly cut root vegetables like carrots, turnips, rutabagas, potatoes and onion and celery.  Simmer for another hour until the vegetables are done and serve as a side dish with the pot roast.  The cooking liquid can be used as a gravy or saved for other recipes calling for beef stock.

2) After removing the roast and bay leaf, puree the juices and soft vegetables in a blender or food processor.  Return the puree to the pot and simmer until thick.  Use as gravy for the pot roast.