Saturday, April 26, 2014

Penelope Says Recipe Review: The Perfect Pot Roast









Penelope's photo



 Penelope's Photo


Penelope tried a recipe from The Pioneer Woman.
Perfect Pot Roast
Recipe Credit: The Pioneer Woman


Ingredients
  • 1 whole (4 To 5 Pounds) Chuck Roast
  • 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
  • 2 whole Onions
  • 6 whole Carrots (Up To 8 Carrots)
  • Salt To Taste
  • Pepper To Taste
  • 1 cup Red Wine (optional, You Can Use Beef Broth Instead)
  • 2 cups To 3 Cups Beef Stock
  • 3 sprigs Fresh Thyme, or more to taste
  • 3 sprigs Fresh Rosemary, or more to taste

Preparation Instructions

First and foremost, choose a nicely marbled piece of meat. This will enhance the flavor of your pot roast like nothing else. Generously salt and pepper your chuck roast.
Heat a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Then add 2 to 3 tablespoons of olive oil (or you can do a butter/olive oil split).
Cut two onions in half and cut 6 to 8 carrots into 2-inch slices (you can peel them, but you don’t have to). When the oil in the pot is very hot (but not smoking), add in the halved onions, browning them on one side and then the other. Remove the onions to a plate.
Throw the carrots into the same very hot pan and toss them around a bit until slightly browned, about a minute or so.
If needed, add a bit more olive oil to the very hot pan. Place the meat in the pan and sear it for about a minute on all sides until it is nice and brown all over. Remove the roast to a plate.
With the burner still on high, use either red wine or beef broth (about 1 cup) to deglaze the pan, scraping the bottom with a whisk to get all of that wonderful flavor up.
When the bottom of the pan is sufficiently deglazed, place the roast back into the pan and add enough beef stock to cover the meat halfway (about 2 to 3 cups). Add in the onion and the carrots, as well as 3 or 4 sprigs of fresh rosemary and about 3 sprigs of fresh thyme.
Put the lid on, then roast in a 275F oven for 3 hours (for a 3-pound roast). For a 4 to 5-pound roast, plan on 4 hours.





Penelope's Recipe Review
 
(I did make some substitutions)
 
I used Cupcake Red Velvet for the red wine

Substituted 2 teaspoons of Herbs de Provence for Fresh Thyme and Rosemary
I also added fresh mushrooms

The recipe said you do not have to peel the carrots, so I did not.  They were organic anyway. 
I really like the taste of this pot roast.
The cons for me:
 The huge onion pieces
 The broth was so thin
  I like mine to be thicker, more like gravy
When it was time for left overs, I added (4T) flour and (2T) butter.  
 I heated through stirring to thicken with the roast
  I liked it much better.   
Will make again.


 My review:  Good Recipe!







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