Pot Roast

When it comes to pot roast, I have several thoughts:

1. There is no such thing as the "best" pot roast. The best pot roast you've ever had is the one your momma made growing up.

2. The consensus, however, is that onions matter. Lots of onions. A friend of mine from Memphis even swears by onion soup as the braising liquid.

3. A good cut of meat matters too. In this family, we use a bone-in chuck roast - from a pastured cow, hence it's relatively lean. They can be ginormous though, so squiggling it into your Dutch oven may be tricky.

4. Dutch ovens. I use a 5 quart oval Dutch oven by Le Creuset. It's the only piece I own and, IMHO, one good quality Dutch oven is all you need. Mine has served me well for many years. Enameled cast iron is best - the American brand Lodge has just come out with their own line of enameled cast iron Dutch(?) ovens.

5. With practice, this can be a go-to dish favorite as well. It looks complicated, but it really isn't. There are only 3 basic steps to braising: Meat, Aromatics, Braising liquid. In fact, pot roast is a great option for working girls (and guys) - you can chop your vegetables at night, pop it into a slow cooker in the morning (brown the meat in a separate skillet) and come home to a wonderful fragrance filling your home after work.

This, then, is the pot roast that my baby girl's momma makes.

POT ROAST

A - Meat
4-4.5 lbs bone-in chuck roast
2 tbsp olive oil

B - Aromatics
1 tbsp olive oil
2 medium yellow onions, chopped
3 stalks celery, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
2 dried bay leaves

C - Braising liquids
1 cup cooking red wine
1 cup beef stock

D - Accompaniments
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
2 medium white potatoes, diced
2 carrots, cut into 0.5cm rounds

E - Finish
Worcestershire sauce (I use Lea & Perrins)

*****

A - Season one side of the chuck roast with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in your Dutch oven until smoking. Place the chuck roast carefully into the Dutch oven, seasoned side down. I use tongs and a ladle to do this, using the ladle to squiggle the sides until the whole piece of meat fits. While one side is browning, season the other side with salt and pepper. When the first side is browned (approximately 5 minutes) - there should be sections of darker crusty bits - turn the meat over and brown the other side. Set aside (I usually set aside on the cover of the Dutch oven, upturned. Saves on washing up.).

B - Add another tbsp of oil. Saute the onions until translucent and soft. Add the celery and carrots and saute for a few minutes.

C - Add the red wine. Using a wooden ladle, scrape the bottom of your Dutch oven to loosen the caramelized bits left behind after browning the meat. Reduce the red wine to half. Then add the beef stock and, again, reduce to half.

Arrange the browned roast on top of the sauteed vegetables. Tuck the bay leaves into the sides. Cover and reduce heat to low, maintaining a bubbling simmer. Cook for at least 3 hours.

D - 30 minutes before serving, open the lid and cover the meat with the additional chopped onions. This ensures that the juice from the cooking onions will permeate the meat (a trick that I learned from my MIL). Add in the potatoes and carrots, making sure that they fall in between the meat and are covered by the braising liquid. At this point also, taste the gravy and season with more salt or pepper as required. Cover and cook for a further 30 minutes.

E - The pot roast is ready to be served when the potatoes and carrots have cooked. Using a pair of kitchen scissors, cut up the cooked roast into large chunks in the pot. I like to finish it with a splash of Worcestershire sauce to add a little jazz.

Serve hot with warmed dinner rolls.