Christmas Pot Roast

Hey there!  So glad you could stop by today and check out my recipe for Roast Beast, I mean Pot Roast.  I have a little confession to make about this dish.  I'm not the most confident person when it comes to red meat.  I'm always worried I'll over or under cook it.  My husband likes it very well done and I'm more of a medium rare person.  Pot roast happens to be a dish that everyone can find a happy medium.  Since it's slow cooked and braised for hours it is tender and fall apart and doesn't mind being cooked forever.  It's basically an extremely forgiving dish.  It's also a breeze to put together and man, oh man will you house smell like heaven.  Plus, if you're looking for the perfect Christmas Eve or day meal, look no further.  This is it!

Start with a 3-4lb chuck pot roast.

/Chop up your carrots, potatoes, onions and garlic.

Liberally salt and pepper your roast.

Open up a good bottle of wine.  Pour a glass for the cook.

Pre-heat your dutch oven on high for about 5 minutes.  Add a little vegetable oil and the pot roast. Brown on all sides.

Add a cup of red wine and two cups of beef stock.  Then tuck the vegetables all around the roast and sprinkle with a sprig of rosemary and a some fresh thyme. Bake at 350 degrees for 2 1/2 - 3 hours.

My lighting is terrible.  My fluorescent bulb in the kitchen went out. 

Allow the roast to rest on a cutting board for 20 minutes or so before cutting off the string and slicing it.  Keep the veggies in the hot pot and spoon them around the roast before serving.  Don't forget to top with a little, or a lot, of that delicious gravy.

Ingredients:

1 3-4lb chuck roast

6 carrots sliced

4 large red potatoes cut into chunks

1 onion roughly chopped

2 cloves of minced garlic

1 stem of fresh rosemary

fresh thyme

1 cup of dry red wine

2 cups of beef stock

salt and pepper

vegetable oil

2 tbs corn starch

Directions:

While you are chopping your vegetables and seasoning your roast, be sure to pre-heat your dutch oven over high heat.  Do not add the oil until right before you are ready to add the roast.  Once the dutch oven is super hot, add the oil and the seasoned roast. Brown on all sides.  Add the red wine and the stock.  Add the vegetables and the herbs.  Cover and place in a 350 degree oven.  Bake for 2 1/2 to 3 hours.  Remove roast from pot and allow to cool for 20 minutes before slicing.  Mix corn starch with a little water or extra broth, then stir in to the pot of vegetables.  It will thicken slightly.  Once you have allowed the meat to rest, spoon the vegetables around it on a platter and top with a few ladles of the sauce before serving.

Enjoy!