ROASTED

I have a confession to make:   until yesterday I had never made a pot roast. Or any roast.   I love them; my mom made post roast almost weekly as a kid and the smell and taste are so yummy and familiar.  And roasts are super hygge-esque.   But, despite cooking 4-5 times/week most of my adult life, I have avoided big hunks of red meat.   They intimidate me!  There are so many different cuts! They're scary looking!  What do you do with them?

SO - I decided yesterday was the day.  I used Pioneer Woman's recipe.  (I love Ree.  I kinda wish I WAS Ree.)  Her recipe called for a 3-5 lb chuck roast.  So I went to the Jewel, to the scary hunk-of-meat section, and they had no chuck roasts.  Panic!  THIS, my friends, this is why I always run away, screaming, from the hunk-of-meat section.  I feel like this happens every time.  But I stayed brave!!  I pulled out my phone and starting googling the difference between a chuck roast a bottom round roast and other classes of roast, and one site said a bottom round roast was fine and I went with it.  And it was.  In fact, it was killer.  And the meal was ridiculously, embarrassingly easy.

 Pioneer Woman's Perfect Pot Roast

 Heat up a few Tbsp olive oil in a large pot or dutch oven

Salt & pepper your roast generously

Cut 2-3 onions in half

Brown the onions in the hot oil, about a minute per side, then remove from the pot.

 So the same with 5-6 whole carrots. If you don't have any, and cannot bear to go back to the store, use a package of baby carrots.  Dry them so the oil doesn't maim you, then dump them and brown them in the hot oil for about a minute, then remove them, too.

 Add your hunk-o-meat and sear, about a minute per side, then, you guessed it, remove it from the pot, too.

 Pour in a cup of beef broth or red wine, whisk over high heat for a minute or two to deglaze the pot.

 Add the meat back in, then enough beef broth to cover the meat halfway (about 2 cups for this roast), then add the vegetables and  a few sprigs each of fresh thyme and rosemary.

 And that. is. it.  

Cover and put in a pre-heated 275 oven and cook for 3-4 hours, roughly an hour per pound.  

You'll know it's done when the meat falls apart with a fork. 

Your house will smell absolutely incredible all day.

Your dog will bark for dinner every five seconds, driven crazy by the scent. 

We had band practice at our house last night and our drummer, Max, commented on the incredible smell when he came in.    A little while later, during a break, I went up to the kitchen and found Max leaning over the pot, fork in hand, frozen, as he realized he was busted.  I wish I had a picture - it was priceless.  Pot roast will do that to you!

And now I know how to make a dang pot roast. What was the fuss all about?  

It was phenomenal. 

Next week:  training generation II to cook.  It's happening.