Pot Roast

It is time for me to come clean about my addiction. Food Network ... I seriously cannot get enough. I actually look forward to Saturdays so that I can watch morning television with my cup of coffee. There used to be a time, not long ago, where I was looking forward to tailgating and drinking on Saturday mornings. Oh how things have changed since college.  I must admit, my addiction could be far worse. Honestly, it's made both mine and Blake's life a lot better!  Blake's been wanting me to make a pot roast for a few weeks now, and so of course I turned to my favorite leading ladies, The Barefoot Contessa and The Pioneer Woman.  I liked different aspects of each recipe, so I basically blended the two to make my own. Keep reading to see the steps I took to make this perfect cold weather dish.

The first step is to brown the shit out of some vegetables. The more color the better here... don't be scared. The NUMBER ONE thing to realize for this recipe is that all ingredients are created equal. This is not just a show for the beef. Each and every item needs to be shown some love. You also need a pot that can get very hot and transfer to the oven. If you're a fancy pants and you have a Le Creuset that will be perfect, but a knockoff like mine is perfectly fine too.

Brown your onions and carrots in olive oil, and place on a plate for later. These types of recipes are about layering flavors. You'll be thankful you took these extra steps when you take your first glorious bite 4 hours later. If you have a small kitchen, be ready. You will easily get smoked out and have to open windows. It's okay ... don't panic... you need this heat! If you have a sensitive smoke alarm near your kitchen, this is NOT the recipe for you. Just keep scrolling and moonwalk right out of this thread.

Ahhhh.... beef. This is a glorious 3lb. chuck roast with plenty of fat.  It is very important that you pat your roast dry before rubbing it with salt and pepper. This will help it with the browning stage and will help the salt and pepper to stick to the roast itself. When you think you've added too much salt, add a little more. This is a HUGE piece of meat and needs plenty of seasoning. Coat it in a light layer of flour and then brown each and every side in the screaming hot pan. Don't forget the ends!

Place your browned roast back on it's plate, and add the vegetables back into the pot. Add the garlic and cook for a minute or two.  Then pour 1 cup of your favorite red wine into the pan. You worked hard for those little brown pieces at the bottom of the pan, so make sure you scrape the bottom of the pan while the wine cooks for a few minutes. Then open a large can of tomatoes and dump the whole thing in the pot. Add your sprigs of rosemary and thyme and bring to a boil.  Once boiling, add the meat into the pot and fill with 2 cups of broth and your bouillon cube. Put it in the oven for 3-4 hours covered at 275.

This is an optional step, but I loved the result. Once done, take the meat out and place it on a cutting board. Then, pour half of the vegetables and sauce into a blender and puree. Add back into the sauce and bring up to a simmer. In a small bowl, mix 2 tbs. melted butter with 2 tbs. flour to make a slurry.  Mix into the sauce and allow it to thicken for a few minutes. Save yourself some work and buy pre-made mashed potatoes. You've exhausted yourself over this roast... don't make your life harder, take the short cut.

If your kitchen isn't a mess like mine... good for you, but you're probably doing something wrong. Now go warm yourself up with some pot roast.

INGREDIENTS: 
3-4 lb. Chuck Roast
2 Yellow Onions - Quartered
4 Carrots - cut into 2" dices
3-4 Cloves Garlic
1 Large Jar Stewed Tomatoes
1 Cup Red Wine
2 Cups Beef Broth
1 Bouillon Cube
3 Sprigs Rosemary
3 Sprigs Thyme
2 Tbs. Butter (for slurry)
2-4 Tbs. Flour (for slurry & coating beef)
Salt & Pepper