Mom's Pot Roast

The Perfect Roast

So my mom made a lot of really great dishes and I think the time I spent with her in the kitchen are some of my greatest memories. Although my mom didn't necessarily teach me how to cook she definitely inspired me to be in the kitchen by always cooking when I was little and letting me help and watch.

My older sister, me, mom.

 One of the things I remember her making was this mouth watering pot roast. Unfortunately my mom passed away far too soon and my sister and I have attempted to recreate some of her dishes based on memory and I think I came pretty close with this one.

The Meat

So typically with a roast you want a sturdy piece of meat that requires long cooking times. Traditionally a pot roast warrants the use of a chuck roast also known as a 7-bone roast or a braising steak.  This cut of meat tends to be fairly tough and contains a lot of cartilage and connective tissues which take a long time to break down. If treated correctly the finished product can be extremely flavorful and tender. My favorite thing about chuck roast is that it is fairly inexpensive compared to other cuts of beef and I can usually cut out a small section and cube for stew for the next day. Just choose a small section surrounded by fat/cartilage and trim it out, pop it in a zipper bag and your'e ready for the next day.  

What You'll Need

This recipe is really easy and doesn't require much to bring it all together. The most important thing you'll need is patience. A lot of cooking requires patience and the ability to step back and let things happen on their own. Just as in life things we force usually do not turn out well. The next thing you'll need is a slow cooker. I recommend anyone starting out on this adult journey invest in a good slow cooker and a large one so that you can do more with it. A large slow cooker at good quality will cost between 30 and 45 dollars. There are some that cost more but in my opinion this is not where you should splurge. Slow cookers have no moving parts and rarely break so its OK to get one that isn't considered high end. I've owned two my entire life and the only thing that has broken is the plastic handle on the lid. I also recommend an iron skillet. I lost mine in my last move and I am lost without it. It will be my next purchase for sure. As long as cast iron is properly seasoned it will last forever and is exceptional for searing meat.

One of the most important elements of a good roast is a hard sear which is much easier to achieve in cast iron. Last but not least you'll need a good knife (always invest in at least one good knife for your kitchen; I prefer a good utility knife as it can be used for almost anything), a good cutting board, and some sturdy tongs. 

Ingredients

1  2 -3- lb. chuck roast

5  medium size Russet Potatoes 

1  lb. carrots 

1  14.5 oz can beef broth

1  cup brewed coffee

1  large white onion

3  cloves garlic

2  tbsp. butter

1  tbsp. olive oil

2  tsp. dried rosemary

2  tsp. dried thyme

1  bay leaf

    Kosher Salt and Freshly 

    Ground 

    Black Pepper 

    to Taste

Getting Started

First off I know what you're thinking. Coffee in my pot roast?! Believe it or not the roasted qualities paired with the bitterness coffee go great with beef. Coffee grounds can even be used in dry rubs but for our purposes we'll need a brewed cup. Temperature doesn't matter so just set aside a cup from the morning pot. Its also a great idea to set your meet out about 45 minutes before you're ready to get cooking. Cold meat in a hot pan does not a good sear make. Room temperature meat will work best so give your meat some time. 

While your meat is coming to temperature its it good idea to prep your vegetables. Its a lot easier to cook when you're not constantly stopping to prep an ingredient. This is crucial when you're starting out in the kitchen because it will keep you from becoming frazzled and stressed. The onion is easy as it wont be eaten in the finished plate. Go ahead and cut it into quarters.

The carrots are simple as well. Cut them in half down the middle. The skinny end is ready to use. The thicker half that is left over should be cut in half length wise to create somewhat of a spear. Each carrot should yield 3 pieces. Two of the garlic cloves should be chopped and one will be cut into three slices. Give the potatoes a good wash and set aside. 

Once your meat has come to room temp you can prep it. Cut three small slits into the meat evenly spaced and press one slice of garlic into each slit. Make sure they are deep enough so that they will not fall out during the searing process. Generously salt and pepper both sides and evenly distribute the rosemary and time on both sides.

Now you're ready to start cooking. Add your butter and olive oil to your cast iron or high-sided skillet and place over medium high heat. While your skillet is heating up place the onion, remaining garlic, coffee, bay and half of the can of beef broth into the slow cooker and turn on to low. When your skillet is hot use your tongs to gently Place the prepped chuck roast on one side. You should hear a pretty loud sizzle, if you don't your pan is not hot enough and you will not get a hard sear.  Now is the time when you'll need o exercise patience. I often see people moving  meat around a lot in pans and on the grill and pressing it down.These are huge no nos!!! When you move the meat around you are disrupting the caramelization process and that's when you end up with grey weird looking meet. Grey doesn't tastes good, brown tastes good. The problem with pressing the meat down is you're squeezing out all of the juices. Now you have a dry and grey piece of meat. So set it in the skillet and leave it alone.

You will know when it is time to flip because the sound of the sizzle will change and the meat will let go of the skillet. If your meat is sticking its not ready to turn! This process usually takes about 3 minutes per side. Once you turn your meat it should be a caramel deep brown color with a nice crust.

This is what you want. When your meat is done transfer it to the slow cooker. Now you don't want to waist all of the drippings in th pan. This is a flavor bomb and should not be thrown out. Turn the heat down a bit and add the rest of the can of beef broth into the skillet. This is called deglazing.  The liquid will pull all of the bits off of the skillet.

Let this cook for about 2 minutes pull from the heat and poor into the slow cooker. Nice part about deglazing is it makes cleaning up a lot easier. Now pop the lid on your slow cooker and leave it alone for 5-6 hours. 

About an hour before you serve your're going to want to add your potatoes and carrots into the slow cooker and turn up to high. This will ensure that they do not over cook. 

Serve with butter and fresh ground black pepper for the vegetables. Left over meat can be seasoned the next day for tacos or burritos. Enjoy!