Pot Roast (Braised) Recipe

Cooking a wonderfully juicy and powerfully flavored pot roast is quite easy. And what makes it such a great holiday choice is that you can make it a day ahead and it will be even better better when served the next.  See note below.

Ingredients:

Beef Chuck Roast – you decide on the weight but at least 3 lbs.
3 Tbsp veggie oil
Water
3 Tbsp Beef Stock or Beef Base (I prefer Better Than Bouillon brand)
3 Bay leaves
4 Cloves Garlic
1 Cup carrots (in 3 inch lengths)
2 large onions (quartered)
Potatoes 
1 lb mushrooms

Butter
Flour 
Rice or wide egg noodles

The Process:

Add the veggie oil to a large high sided deep pan and brown the roast well on all 4 sides at high heat. 

Add the beef stock with the garlic (can't have too much), bay leaves and mushrooms until the stock reaches 2/3 way to the top of the roast.

Cover with the tight fitting lid and/or foil and place in a preheated oven at 325 degrees.  After 2 hours, top the meat with your veggies.

Return to the oven covered and about 1 hour later. When the blade of a knife slides easily through the meat with no resistance remove from the oven and place it on a cutting board and cover it loosely foil. Remove the carrots, onions and potatoes to a bowl. Using a slotted spoon strain out the mushrooms and set aside separate from the other veggies. 

Let the fat rise to the top of the broth in the pan and skim. One way to skim the fat from the broth is to place paper towels on the top of the broth to soak-up the fat that floats to the top. Remove the grease soaked paper towels with tongs. Or you could just spoon off the fat and discard.  

In a separate pan, melt butter and a corresponding amount of flour and make a blond roux as a thickening agent. Introduce the cooked broth to make your gravy. Once the gravy has been prepared add the mushrooms. 

Plate the beef and veggies or serve over rice or wide egg noodles. 

Enjoy!