This basic and old fashioned pot roast has been my favorite way to cook a chuck roast since I first started cooking. Even though you can do it in an oven or crockpot, there is something about that roast slow simmering on the top of the stove that just makes me feel all cozy.
Old Fashioned Pot Roast
A good old fashioned pot roast calls for a chuck roast in my eyes. Chuck is an economical cut of beef that is pretty tough and fatty, but very flavorful, and requires a low and slow braise for several hours in just a bit of liquid, making it a great roast to plan for Saturday or Sunday dinner for most of us. While you certainly can cook it in a slow cooker, and I have, I love letting it simmer nice and slow on the stove or in the oven the most.I personally would prefer my roast a bit more on say, the medium rare side, but most meat I have to cook pretty well done around here for The Cajun. I'm working on him though, and have been able to get him down to a medium and {shockingly} even a more pinkish medium-rare on steaks finally. My Mama was the same way with beef. She cooked meat to the point of past well done, but somehow through all those goings-on in my formative years, I managed to become a more rare to medium rare kinda gal when it comes to beef. Go figure!
If you're working with a different cut of beef, I've got a few other roast recipes up. One is an Oven Braised Beef Eye of Round Roast with Pan Gravy, another is an Oven Roasted Beef Rump Roast with Mushroom Gravy, but for my slow-simmered pot roast, this is the way I've been doing my chuck roast for as long as I have been cooking.
Here's how to do it.
As I mentioned, my favorite roast for this method of cooking is a chuck. Here I'm using a shoulder roast. You can stud the roast with garlic if you like, add chopped garlic to the pot, or simply leave it out. I'm gonna stud this one. Peel a couple of nice large garlic cloves.
Then cut those into multiple slivers. To stud a roast you just simply make small cuts into the roast with the tip of a knife.
Insert a sliver of garlic into the cut and push it deep into the meat until it disappears.
Repeat this all over the roast. Mix together the flour coating - flour, salt, pepper, Cajun seasoning, onion powder and garlic powder. Sprinkle half of the flour mixture on the top of the roast, rub in, turn and sprinkle remaining flour mix over the other side of roast. Rub mixture into the roast, turning until thoroughly covered, including sides.
Heat 2 tablespoons of fat or oil in large pot that has a lid over medium high heat and carefully place the roast into the hot oil searing it on all sides. While meat is browning, slice onion into slightly thick rings.
When both sides of the roast are browned, sprinkle rosemary into your palm and crush it to break it up. Sprinkle over the top of the meat. Repeat with the thyme. When I have beef stock on hand, or a carton of commercial broth opened already, I use that. When I don't, I just mix up some Better Than Bouillon. This stuff is so beautifully rich and adds incredible flavor anywhere you'd normally use beef broth or bouillon, and I always have some in my fridge.
Break the onion slices apart into separate rings and drop in a bay leaf toss along sides and top of roast. Pour beef stock all around roast and bring to a boil.
I decided to do the Yankee Pot Roast version here, so I added in some celery, then reduced heat to a medium-low simmer, covered and cooked for about 2-1/2 to 3 hours, or until tender, turning once about halfway through. The last half hour, I add a pound or so of potatoes, peeled and cut into quarters or chunks, and 2 to 3 large carrots, cut into chunks or sliced thick. Cover and cook for the remaining 1/2 hour or more, until vegetables are fork tender.
Serve roast on a platter, surrounded with veggies, spooning pan juices over both.
If you prefer not to add veggies just keep it pure beef, use the drippings to make a nice gravy and serve with a side of homemade mashed potatoes and maybe some southern peas or green beans. If you've got some green tomatoes in the garden, how about a side of some fried green tomatoes for a change?! Don't forget the rolls! No matter how ya pair it up, sure sounds like a mighty fine meal to me! Eat. Enjoy. Can I hear a yum?
Check out more of my beef roast recipes on Pinterest y'all!
If you make this or any of my recipes, I'd love to see your results! Just snap a photo and hashtag it #DeepSouthDish on social media or tag me @deepsouthdish on Instagram!
Recipe: Old Fashioned Pot Roast
©From the Kitchen of Deep South Dish
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 3 hours
Total time: 3 hour 10 min
Yield: About 4 to 6 servings
Ingredients
Instructions
- 3 to 5 pound beef chuck roast
- Several garlic cloves, cut into slivers, optional
- 2 tablespoons of bacon fat, Crisco shortening, or canola oil
- Heaping 1/4 cup of all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
- 1 teaspoon of Cajun seasoning (like Slap Ya Mama) {affil link}, or to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 medium onion, sliced
- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme, crushed
- 1-1/2 cups of beef stock or broth
- 1 large bay leaf
Stud the roast by using the tip of a knife to cut multiple small slits in areas all over the meat and inserting slivers of garlic into each cut, if desired. Heat 2 tablespoons of fat or oil in large pot that has a lid over medium high heat. In a small bowl, stir together flour, salt, pepper, Cajun seasoning, onion powder and garlic powder with a fork. Sprinkle half of the flour mixture on the top of the roast, rub in, turn and sprinkle remaining flour mix over the other side of roast. Rub mixture into the roast, turning until thoroughly covered, including sides.
Using tongs, carefully place the roast into the hot oil and sear it on all sides. While meat is browning, slice onion into slightly thick rings. When both sides of the roast are browned, sprinkle rosemary into your palm and crush it to break it up. Sprinkle over the top of the meat. Repeat with the thyme.
Break the onion slices apart into separate rings and toss along sides and top of roast. Pour beef stock all around roast and bring to a boil. Drop in a bay leaf, reduce to a medium-low simmer, cover and cook for about 2-1/2 to 3 hours, or until tender, turning once. Baste roast or make gravy from the pan drippings and serve with rolls or French bread. Serving size is dependent on size of the roast.
Cook's Notes: Use a wide spatula to extract your roast in one large piece. Set aside to rest as you use the pan drippings to make gravy, or simply pour pan drippings over the roast. Cut into chunks.
Yankee Pot Roast Variation: Add 1 stalk of celery, chopped or cut into thick slices with the onion. Last half hour, add in 1 to 1-1/2 pounds of potatoes, peeled and cut into quarters or chunks, and 2 to 3 large carrots, cut into chunks or sliced thick. Add additional stock or broth if needed, and cook remaining 1/2 hour or more, until vegetables are fork tender. Serve roast on a platter, surrounded with veggies, spooning pan juices over both.
Crockpot Variation: Sear off roast as above, if desired. Otherwise, simply salt and pepper the roast and omit the flour seasoning. If using vegetables, place all of them into the bottom of the crockpot. Add roast to the top and pour 1/2 cup of beef stock or broth over and around the roast. Reduce thyme and rosemary to 1/2 teaspoon and sprinkle on top of roast. Cover and cook on low for 8 to 9 hours, depending on the size of the roast.
Instant Pot/Electronic Pressure Cooker Variation: Season, dust, stud and sear off roast as above; set aside. Add onion and celery and saute for a few minutes. Increase beef broth to 3 cups, adding herbs. Add a splash of the broth to deglaze pan, return roast, and top with remaining broth. Seal, cook on high for 55 to 65 minutes, for a 4 pound roast, longer for larger. Cancel keep warm function and let pressure release naturally. To add veggies, pressure cook roast, let pressure release naturally, top with quartered potatoes and chunks of carrots and celery. Reseal pot, set for 6 minutes and let pressure release naturally. To thicken gravy, remove roast and set aside, tenting to keep warm. Mix together 2 tablespoons cornstarch with a tablespoon cool water, stir into drippings and use saute/browning setting to bring to a boil. Boil until thickened. Taste, adjust any seasonings as needed. Stir in 1/4 cup of chopped fresh herbs such as parsley, if desired.
Tip: DO NOT BOIL! Boiling will toughen the fibers of the meat and give you a tough and chewy roast; a slow simmer will result in a tender and moist roast. Check it with an instant read thermometer for desired doneness. The roast is done when the temperature in the center reaches 120°F to 125°F, (49°C to 52°C) for rare, 130°F to 140°F (55°C to 60°C) for medium rare, 145°F to 150°F (63°C to 66°C) for medium, and 155°F to 165°F (68°C to 74°C) for well done (Note: 120° is a pretty rare roast).
Source: http://deepsouthdish.com
Requires Adobe Reader - download it free! ©Deep South Dish
☛ Are you on Facebook? If you haven't already, come and join the party! We have a lot of fun & there's always room for one more at the table.
Oven Braised Beef Eye of Round Roast with Pan Gravy
Oven Roasted Beef Rump Roast with Mushroom Gravy
Cajun Steak Marinade
Thank you for supporting my work! Please note that Images and Full Post Content including Recipe ©Deep South Dish. Recipes are offered for your own personal use only and while pinning and sharing links is welcomed and encouraged, do not copy and paste post or recipe text to repost or republish to any social media (such as other Facebook pages, etc.), blogs, websites, forums, or any print medium, without explicit prior permission. Unauthorized use of content from ©Deep South Dish is a violation of both the federal Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) and copyright law. All rights reserved.
Material Disclosure: Unless otherwise noted, you should assume that post links to the providers of goods and services mentioned, establish an affiliate relationship and/or other material connection and that I may be compensated when you purchase from a provider. You are never under any obligation to purchase anything when using my recipes and you should always perform due diligence before buying goods or services from anyone via the Internet or offline.
130929/110911
.
