Pot Roast
This pot roast recipe is simple, but the results are absolutely delicious. Cook this on a long Sunday afternoon, and your house will smell delicious for hours as the roast cooks to perfection.
Pot Roast with Potatoes and Carrots
Chuck roast
2 Tb. Flour
1 Tb. Roasting Spices
4-6 beef bouillon cubes
3 Tb. oil
Potatoes, quartered
Carrots
Onions, optional
Buy a nice, thick chuck roast, whatever size you need for your family. Pull out your electric frying pan. The recipe will still work in a pressure cooker, slow cooker, or oven, but your best results will be with an electric fry pan. The roast needs to slowly cook for 4-5 hours, so make sure you start the roast early in the afternoon for dinnertime.
The quality of spices you use will help determine how good your roast will be. You can buy packets of pot roast spices, use salt and pepper, or use Penzey's English Prime Rib Rub. They don't pay me to recommend it. (That sure would be nice!).
In a large gallon ziploc baggie, add the flour and the spices. Shake it up a bit to mix the flour and spices well. Slide the roast into the bag, and shake to coat all sides of the roast. Add a little more flour and spice if the roast is not coated on all sides.
Heat the oil in an electric frying pan at 350 for a few minutes. Using tongs, sear the sides, top, and bottom of the roast until nicely browned. Turn heat down to the lowest setting on your frying pan, usually called "simmer". Center the roast in the pan. Add water until the level is about halfway up the side of the roast. Add one bouillon cube for each cup of water that you added. If you want onions with your roast, slice some onions and place them on top of the roast.
Now comes the tricky part, although it is only tricky the first time you make this roast in your frying pan. You need to keep the water from boiling dry during the entire 4-5 hours you cook the roast. When the water boils low, you need to bring the level back up to halfway on the side of the roast. Different pans cook faster or slower, so the tricky part is figuring out how your pan works. My pan cooks away most of the moisture in 25 minutes, so I set the timer and just check the roast when the timer goes off. If your pan has a better fitting lid, you may be able to wait 30 minutes or more. Enlist family members to help check the roast and add water when it gets low. Try to bring the water level up to halfway (more or less) when you refill the pan.
About 30 minutes before you need the roast, cut the potatoes into quarters. Add enough water to the pan bring the level back to halfway up the roast. Add the potatoes to the pan. About 20 minutes later, add the carrots, and a little more water if needed.
The carrots and potatoes are done when a fork can pierce them easily. The roast is done when the meat is easily shredded. You will also have a fair amount of drippings to make gravy.
Heat the oil in an electric frying pan at 350 for a few minutes. Using tongs, sear the sides, top, and bottom of the roast until nicely browned. Turn heat down to the lowest setting on your frying pan, usually called "simmer". Center the roast in the pan. Add water until the level is about halfway up the side of the roast. Add one bouillon cube for each cup of water that you added. If you want onions with your roast, slice some onions and place them on top of the roast.
Now comes the tricky part, although it is only tricky the first time you make this roast in your frying pan. You need to keep the water from boiling dry during the entire 4-5 hours you cook the roast. When the water boils low, you need to bring the level back up to halfway on the side of the roast. Different pans cook faster or slower, so the tricky part is figuring out how your pan works. My pan cooks away most of the moisture in 25 minutes, so I set the timer and just check the roast when the timer goes off. If your pan has a better fitting lid, you may be able to wait 30 minutes or more. Enlist family members to help check the roast and add water when it gets low. Try to bring the water level up to halfway (more or less) when you refill the pan.
About 30 minutes before you need the roast, cut the potatoes into quarters. Add enough water to the pan bring the level back to halfway up the roast. Add the potatoes to the pan. About 20 minutes later, add the carrots, and a little more water if needed.
The carrots and potatoes are done when a fork can pierce them easily. The roast is done when the meat is easily shredded. You will also have a fair amount of drippings to make gravy.
This sounds so good! I remember mom making this--I love the potatoes and carrots!
ReplyDeleteDo you add the water up to half-way each time?
Yes, I do. Sorry that wasn't clear. I made the change in the recipe above.
DeleteSeriously one of my favorite meals. Those plates bring back good memories!
ReplyDelete