I love pot roast, and I love to make it on Sunday for the family. It always reminds me of Sunday dinner at my grandmother’s, and I bet it will always remind my grandkids of dinner with me. Love those traditions, food can bring back sure great memories!
The great thing about this recipe is that the pot roast cooks itself it while you are at church or while you are watching a movie. This is also great to make in an out-door Dutch oven, amazing to enjoy while camping. I like to add red potatoes and baby carrots on the top of the roast for the last hour of cooking.
Grandma’s Pot Roast
1 Boneless Beef Chuck Roast, about 5 pounds
2 Tablespoon oil
1 Cup diced onion
2 Cups diced carrots
1 Celery rib, diced
2 teaspoon minced garlic
1 ½ cups water
1 Tablespoon beef base (I use Better than Bouillon brand)
6 ounces V-8 Juice or tomato juice or canned diced tomatoes or tomato sauce
½ cup red cooking wine
Gravy
1/3 Cup cornstarch
2/3 cup water
In a large Dutch Oven that has a tight-fitting lid, heat the oil over medium heat. Add onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and beginning to brown. Add garlic, carrots, and celery, continue to cook, stirring occasionally, for another 5 minutes. Add broth and V-8 juice and bring to a simmer.
Trim any large pieces of fat off the roast. Nestle the raw meat into the broth and vegetables, no need to brown the meat. Cover pot with a lid and put into a 300-degree oven. Cook beef until fully tender and sharp knife easily slips in and out of the meat, about 4 hours. You can also cook in a slow cooker for 6 to 8 hours.
Transfer roast to cutting board and tent loosely with foil while you make the gravy. With a large spoon, skim off some of the fat from the broth surface. You should have about 4 cups of broth, if not add more water. With an emersion blender or regular blender, puree the broth and vegetables until smooth. In a small bowl combine the water and cornstarch until smooth. Bring the broth back to a boil and, while stirring with a whisk, pour in the cornstarch slurry. Return to a boil and stir until thickened. (You may have to add more if you need it to be thicker.) Season to taste with salt and pepper. You may also need to add more Beef Base.
Cut the meat into serving size pieces, trimming the fat away. Cover trimmed meat with about half of the gravy. Serve the remaining gravy separately with the mashed potatoes.
**Gluten Free as I used cornstarch to thicken the gravy.
Sounds like Sunday Dinner to me! Let me know if you have any questions, or you would like me to find a recipe for you! Enjoy! Jan@DairyKeen.com