How to Cook Pot Roast

Pot roast isn't really a roast. There, I said it. I just had to get that off my chest. I know your world is crumbling around you and it's all my fault. First I tell you that you don't bake ham, you roast it, and then I come along and mess up your pot roast. Alright, I'm sorry I'll take it back. Pot roast IS a roast but it's not roasted. It's braised. Roasting used to just refer to the way something was cooked. But these days a roast is a piece of meat too. Why did this happen? No clue. What am I gonna do about? What can I do?

So why am I telling you that a pot roast is braised and not roasted? Well, because putting a big piece of meat in a pot with liquid, covering it, and putting it into the oven is the textbook definition of braising. So why don't we call it braised beef? Well, some people do. But pot roast is its own thing now. And everyone has their own version of it. But since my version is based on my mommy's recipe, of course it's the best.

My Mom's Pot Roast Recipe, with a Twist.

1. Buy the right cut of beef. For this article I purchased a 2 pound chuck/arm roast. Since it is only 2 pounds, I will only have to braise it for 2 hours. If it was 3½ pounds, I might braise it for as long as 3½ hours. The key to a successful pot roast is sticking to the tougher cuts of meat that need long, slow, and moist cooking. The rump roast also makes a great pot roast. Preheat the oven to 375º F, and season the roast with salt and pepper.
2. Prep the veggies and other ingredients. Cut the carrots into large chunks so they will take longer to cook. Mince the onions so they melt into the sauce. Just cut of the dry end of the garlic and flatten it with your knife. Cut the bacon into thick chunks. The parsley is for a garnish at the end but chop it up so it's ready. Also measure out the beef stock and port wine now.
3. Sear the beef. Heat up the braising pan or dutch oven on the stove top to medium-high heat. Melt 4 Tbsp of butter in the pan. Begin searing the beef when the butter just starts to turn brown. Sear the beef on all sides until it is dark brown over most of the surface. Remove the beef to a plate while you perform the next step.
4. Add the veggies and bacon to the pan. Fry the bacon, onions, carrots, and garlic in the pan using a wooden spoon with a flat tip so that you can scrape some of the drippings up. Once the onions begin to turn translucent, move onto the next step.
5. Deglaze the pan. Add the beef broth and port wine to the pan. Stir and scrape at the bottom of the pan with the wooden spoon. Turn the heat off on the stove and put the pot roast back in the pan. If the liquid doesn't go halfway up the side of the beef, add a little water until it does. Put the bay leaf and the thyme in the pan, and put the covered pot roast into the oven. Set the timer for 1 hour.
6. After 1 hour, remove the pot roast. Make sure to use good oven mitts and be careful not to spill. Set the braising pan down, and use an oven mitt to remove the lid. Use a pair of tongs to flip the roast. Put the lid back, on and put it back in the oven. Set the timer for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, flip the roast again. Then put it back in for 30 more minutes. After that time has elapsed, check the meat to see if it is fork tender. If not, cook in 30 minute intervals until it is.
7. Rest the roast and finish the sauce. Once the roast is fork tender, remove the roast carefully from the juices, and let it rest on a cutting board. Lightly drape or tent some aluminum foil over it to keep it from getting cold. Remove the vegetables from the sauce using a slotted spoon, and put them in the serving dish. Boil and reduce the braising liquid until it is thickened. If it is already full flavored, or too salty, thicken it with a roux or gelatine. Slice the pot roast and serve it with the vegetables and the thickened sauce. Don't forget to garnish with parsley.

Tips for Making Pot Roast

1. Use a good, fresh-looking piece of meat. Try to use grass fed, if you can. It's leaner and has good fatty acids in it.
2. If you have no braising pan or dutch oven, use a cake pan and cover it with aluminum foil or use a stock pot.
3. Don't worry about trimming off the fat. It's all good.
4. Skip the Lipton's Onion Soup Mix.
5. Make sure to have an oven thermometer inside your oven at all times. Oven thermostats are not to be trusted.
6. Pot roast is great with lamb too. Or brisket.
7. A piece of meat with a bone in it will make a more full-flavored sauce because of the gelatine in the bone.
8. Pot roasts are made with otherwise chewy pieces of meat, that when braised become tender and delicious.