The Happy Home Cook: Beef Pot Roast

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Beef Pot Roast (Photo by Melanie Q. Suzara)

Note: Beef chuck roast is normally used but the finer the meat, the better the outcome.  Get a really marbled piece to get more fat which gives more taste and gravy.

Ingredients

2-3 lbs. roasting meat (good for 6-8 people)

a whole head of garlic, mashed but not too much

Knorr liquid seasoning (or Maggi, but Knorr is less heavy and preferable)

a big head of onion - chopped coarsely

2 potatoes (regular size) - cut into cubes

3 good size celery stalks - cut into 1" sizes 

2 medium size carrots (ready peeled okay too) - cut into 1" sizes

green beans (a handful) - take out ends and cut in half

Salt/Pepper

Preparation

1. Wash the meat then wipe dry. 

2. Poke holes and insert mashed garlic cloves all around the meat

3. Sprinkle with Knorr sauce (be generous), pepper and Kosher coarse salt (Note: Knorr sauce is already salty so be light on the salt)

4. Let meat sit in the refrigerator for about 15 to 20 minutes (or even longer if you have the luxury of time).

Procedure

1. At medium temperature,  heat pan (dutch oven recommended) and place about 3/4 to 1 cup oil and saute the onions until they are limp.  Take out onions with a sifting ladle and set aside.

2. On same pan and using same oil, brown the meat on all sides at higher temperature.

3. Add 1/2 cup of water, cover and allow to continuously simmer at very low heat for about 1- to 1-1/2 hours (maybe longer depending on kind of meat used).

4. Keep turning the meat over, constantly prick with a fork to get the juice and blood out.

5. Add water 1/4 cup at a time until meat is very tender.  When you think the meat is ready, increase heat to get rid of the excess liquid and until the natural juices turn oily and thick (just a little bit).  

6. Three minutes before you think the liquid will dry up, throw in the veggies until they're done.  Do not overcook veggies. 

Beef Pot Roast (Photo by Melanie Q. Suzara)

Tips

Fry the potatoes before adding to the veggies in the end.    

Serve the pot roast very thinly sliced for a tastier meal.  Sprinkle then set aside sauteed onions on top and pour the au jus over it.

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Melanie Q Suzara is a retired official of the United Nations. To keep up with her growing family,  she has taken up home cooking in the last couple of years.