The Perfect Pot Roast or Recipe #1

As previously mentioned, I am turning 36 this year. To honor my 36th year, I wrote 36 New Year's Resolutions and many of them had something to do with 36. One of my resolutions is to make 36 new recipes. It seems like a lot of new recipes but I thought it would be a good goal.

So, for recipe #1, I found, The Perfect Pot Roast as found on the Pioneer Woman's blog. I love pot roast and the photos on the Pioneer Woman's blog looked so delicious, I had to try the recipe. I am telling you, she did not lie! It was the perfect pot roast. It was meaty and tender and the vegetables were delicious. Oh and the best part, it is easy. A little work in the beginning and the outcome is heavenly. I told my sister Michelle about the recipe (I made it the first time with Dan & Ellen in Dallas) so guess what I made on Sunday? You got it, another perfect pot roast. Don't believe me, try it for yourself.

Recipe: Pot Roast

Prep Time: 20 Minutes | Cook Time: 4 Hours | Difficulty: Easy | Servings: 10

Ingredients

• 1 whole (4 To 5 Pounds) Chuck Roast
• 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• 2 whole Onions
• 6 whole Carrots (Up To 8 Carrots)
• Salt To Taste
• Pepper To Taste
• 1 cup Red Wine (optional, You Can Use Beef Broth Instead) I skipped the wine.
  
• 2 cups To 3 Cups Beef Stock (Not beef broth, stock is richer and helps this recipe)
  
• 3 sprigs Fresh Thyme, or more to taste
• 3 sprigs Fresh Rosemary, or more to taste

Preparation Instructions

First and foremost, choose a nicely marbled piece of meat. This will enhance the flavor of your pot roast like nothing else. Generously salt and pepper your chuck roast.
Heat a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Then add 2 to 3 tablespoons of olive oil (or you can do a butter/olive oil split).
Cut two onions in half and cut 6 to 8 carrots into 2-inch slices (you can peel them, but you don’t have to). When the oil in the pot is very hot (but not smoking), add in the halved onions, browning them on one side and then the other. Remove the onions to a plate. (The first time I made this recipe, I cooked the onions too long. They really only need a few minutes at the most to get some color. The second time I made the roast, I didn't cook them long enough.)

Throw the carrots into the same very hot pan and toss them around a bit until slightly browned, about a minute or so.
If needed, add a bit more olive oil to the very hot pan. Place the meat in the pan and sear it for about a minute on all sides until it is nice and brown all over. Remove the roast to a plate.
With the burner still on high, use either red wine or beef broth (about 1 cup) to deglaze the pan, scraping the bottom with a whisk to get all of that wonderful flavor up.
When the bottom of the pan is sufficiently deglazed, place the roast back into the pan and add enough beef stock to cover the meat halfway (about 2 to 3 cups). Add in the onion and the carrots, as well as 3 or 4 sprigs of fresh rosemary and about 3 sprigs of fresh thyme.
Put the lid on, then roast in a 275F oven for 3 hours (for a 3-pound roast). For a 4 to 5-pound roast, plan on 4 hours.