Now that we got that out of the way, let's talk about this delicious Pot Roast I made for Terrance and I's 4 year anniversary. We had been talking about having this for a while, but I was always turned off by the amount of work I thought it would take. Once I did my research I realized that it wouldn't be hard at all. It is a tad expensive since there are so many fresh ingredients. That being said, you should have plenty of left overs (we sure did!).
POT ROAST INGREDIENTS
2 - 3 LB Ground Chuck (we used shoulder)
1 container of beef broth
3 medium potatoes (we used Yukon Gold - but whatever you have will work)
1 white onion
3 celery stalks
5 cloves of garlic
3 whole carrots
Salt (lots!)
Pepper (lots!)
Thyme (lots!)
The first step in making this process is chopping all of your vegetables. You can do this however you like, but I recommend cutting into large chunks. These veggies are going to be cooking for a long time so you want to make sure they hold up. Also, it's just nice to chomp into a perfectly good carrot.
Honestly the hardest part is now over. Yes that might have taken a minute, but wasn't fun (be honest, you like the idea of being a Susie Homemaker - why else have you read this far??). Now it's time to brown the meat. Take out a deep pot and cover the bottom with oil (I used vegetable oil). While that is warming up, take this time to REALLY season the meat with salt and pepper. Once you think you've done enough, add about 3 times that amount. There is a lot of meat here and it is going to cook for a long time. You can't season it enough. Once hot, drop your cut of meat into the pot and sear on each side for about 4-5 minutes.
Now that the meat is searing and really starting to smell great, it's time to officially get the crock pot involved. I took about 1/2 of the veggies and dropped them in first. Once these are in, I took the salt, pepper, and thyme and seasoned them all. I then added the meat, re-seasoned, and then added the rest of the veggies, and then again... re-seasoned.
Now that everything is in the pot, it's time to pour in the beef broth. Depending on the amount of veggies and size of meat you'll need to use your best judgement. For the amount I outlined above I actually used the whole container (it filled up the pot almost to the top). This will reduce as the cooking progresses.
I set the crock pot on medium heat and left for work. It cooked throughout the day all on it's own and I didn't have to worry about a thing! In total, the meat cooked for 8 hours. Right before I was going to serve it, I wanted to make a gravy. I simply took some of the "juice" from the pot and mixed it with a little bit of flour. Start with a small amount and add more if needed. This combination made a tasty thick gravy to pour over the meal - yum!
When I started to take out the meat and veggies I actually gasped. First the smell is amazing. If you weren't hungry before, now you'll be starving. Secondly the meat is so tender that it literally breaks apart right when you touch it. I've never had meat this tender - delicious! Once I had everything on the plate I took the gravy and covered the plate.
1. Buy a crock pot. You won't regret it and they aren't expensive. Just do it!
2. Season this like crazy. Even with all of my seasoning I still added more at the end. You can't go wrong here. The flavor of the meat and veggies will be so wonderful as long as you pay attention to the seasoning.
Now that the leaves are turning colors and the weather is getting colder, crock pot meals are a must. Try this one for your first - it's easy and a sure fire hit! After you've rocked this meal you can conquer the world!
Until next time, happy cooking!