Saturday Afternoon Oven Pot Roast Recipes

ULTIMATE POT ROAST

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°. Pat roast dry with a paper towel; tie at 2-in. intervals with kitchen string. Sprinkle roast with pepper and 1-1/2 teaspoons salt. In a Dutch oven, heat oil over medium-high heat. Brown roast on all sides. Remove from pan., Add onions, celery and 1/2 teaspoon salt to the same pan; cook and stir over medium heat 8-10 minutes or until onions are browned. Add garlic, tomato paste, thyme and bay leaves; cook and stir 1 minute longer., Add wine, stirring to loosen browned bits from pan; stir in broth. Return roast to pan. Arrange potatoes, parsnips and carrots around roast; bring to a boil. Bake, covered, until meat is fork-tender, 2-2-1/2 hours., Remove roast and vegetables from pan; keep warm. Discard bay leaves; skim fat from cooking juices. On stovetop, bring juices to a boil; cook until liquid is reduced by half (about 1-1/2 cups), 10-12 minutes. Stir in vinegar and parsley; season with salt and pepper to taste., Remove string from roast. Serve with vegetables and sauce.

PERFECT POT ROAST

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325ºF.
• Combine the salt, pepper, and ground fennel in a small bowl. Generously season the roast with the spice mixture.
• Add enough oil to a large Dutch oven to coat the bottom. Heat it over medium-high heat, add the roast, and sear 8 to 10 minutes total, turning to brown all sides. Transfer the roast to a bowl.
• Add the carrots, onions, and garlic and season lightly with salt and pepper. Sauté the vegetables until browned, 5 to 8 minutes, being careful not to burn the garlic. Remove the vegetables and place in a clean bowl.
• Deglaze the pot with 1 cup of the cider. Using a wooden spoon, scrape up any brown bits that have stuck to the bottom of the pot. Bring the liquid to a boil over high heat. Add 2 cups of the broth and bring it to a boil again.
• Add 4 sprigs of the thyme, the rosemary, bay leaf, and roast to the pot (reserving the vegetables in the bowl). Bring the liquid to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer.
• Cover the pot, place it in the oven, and roast for 2 hours. Add the reserved vegetables and roast for 1 more hour, until the roast is fork-tender but not mushy.
• Remove the roast and vegetables to a large bowl or platter and cover to keep warm. Let the braising liquid cool slightly, then strain the liquid into a bowl (discard the solids).
• Skim off any fat that has risen to the top.
• Purée the braising liquid in a blender.
• To make the sauce, heat 2 tablespoons oil in the Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the flour and stir to combine with the oil. Stir in the remaining 1/4 cup cider and the tomato paste and mix well.
• Return the braising liquid to the pot along with the remaining 1 1/2 cups beef broth and the remaining 2 thyme sprigs. Increase the heat to medium-high and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 15 to 20 minutes, until the sauce is thickened.
• Season the sauce with salt and pepper to taste. Remove the thyme sprigs.
• To serve, slice the pot roast, arrange the vegetables around it, and pour the sauce over the top.
• Variations: Tipsy Pot Roast
• In many pot roast recipes, there is an element of alcohol. In mine, I use hard cider, but you can also try red wine, a heavy beer, or-for your Irish friends-Guinness. The booze gives the meat an extra dimension but won't get the family hammered.

THE LADY & SONS POT ROAST

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Rub the roast with House Seasoning, Seasoned Salt, and pepper. Heat the oil in a large skillet and brown the roast, searing it on both sides. Place the meat in a roaster pan. Sprinkle the bouillon granules over the meat, and cover it with onions, garlic, and bay leaves. Combine the mushroom soup, wine, Worcestershire sauce, and half a soup can of water, and pour this over the roast. Cover and bake for 2 to 2 1/2 hours, or until tender. Remove and discard the bay leaves. If the gravy is not thick enough, remove the meat from the pan and pour the gravy into a saucepan. Bring it to a boil and thicken it by adding 2 tablespoons of cornstarch mixed with 1/4 cup cold water, stirring constantly.

SATURDAY AFTERNOON OVEN POT ROAST

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°. Sprinkle roast with salt and pepper., In a Dutch oven, heat oil and butter over medium-high heat; brown roast on all sides. Remove from pot. Add onion to the same pot; cook and stir over medium heat until tender, 8-10 minutes. Add tomato paste, garlic, thyme and celery seed; cook and stir 1 minute longer., Add wine, stirring to loosen browned bits from pot; stir in broth. Return roast to pot. Arrange carrots and mushrooms around roast; bring to a boil. Bake, covered, until meat is fork-tender, 2-1/2 to 3 hours. If desired, skim fat and thicken cooking juices for gravy.