Sunday Suppers: Pot Roast
Pot Roast is the quintessential family meal. What a better dish to serve in honor of Mother’s Day. My sister-in-law helped me out by popping it in the oven before we went to church. The aroma greeted me when I opened the front door two hours later. The smell brought back memories of meals as a child. All that had to be done was the gravy.
My nephew who is a little foodie in the making ran over to check out what we were eating. Livi pulled up a stool and started helping her mom skewer strawberries and watermelons. A few minutes later we were gathering around the table and celebrating the moms in our family.
A few of the kids love to linger and talk around the table. I try and savor the moments as they are growing up so fast. One of them turned 11 today so we had an early birthday celebration too.
I used a rump roast but a chuck roast is also commonly used. I adapted a recipe from Art Smith’s Back To The Table. He calls for cooking it at 325 the whole time but I think next time I will turn it down to 250 after an hour and cook it a little longer.
How did you celebrate Mother’s Day? If you cooked, what did you make?
Pot Roast
Prep time: 15 minutes Cook time: 2 1/2 hour Total time: 3 hours Yield: 8 servings
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 3-4 pound boneless beef pot roast
- 1 large onion, coarsely chopped
- 4 medium carrots, cut in 1 inch pieces
- 4 celery ribs, cut into 1 inch pieces
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 cup hearty dry red wine
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 3 cups beef broth
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 sprigs rosemary
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons flour
Cooking Directions
1. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 325F.
2. Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a Dutch oven over medium high heat. Season the beef with salt and pepper to taste. Cook in the pot, turning on all sides, until browned. Transfer to plate.
3. Add remaining olive oil to the pot and heat. Add the onion, carrots and celery and cook, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the wine and tomato paste. Cook until reduced in half, about 3 minutes. Return the meat to the pot and add the broth. Bring to a boil. Add thyme and rosemary.
4. Cover and bake until the meat is fork tender about 2 – 2 1/2 hours.
5. Transfer the meat to a deep platter, then use slotted spoon to remove the vegetables and place on platter.
6. Mix the flour and butter in a small bowl to form a paste. Add to a saucepan and gradually whisk in 1 cup of the cooking liquid in. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring often, until thickened, about 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
7. Carve the meat and served with the vegetable, with the gravy passed on the side.
