To make a “grandma-style” pot roast, where the beef is falling apart and deliciously tender and moist, you will want to choose one of three cuts of beef. Generally, for a good pot roast, you should buy a chuck roast, a round roast, or a shoulder roast. These cuts of beef are tough when cooked improperly, but if you prepare them correctly, the meat goes from a chewy hunk of muscle tissue to a savory cut of beef.
How does this happen? Although we seldom think about it, remember that a piece of meat used to be an animal. When the butcher cuts apart a beef carcass, he is basically sectioning away different pieces of the animal’s muscle tissue. Muscles that are used frequently, like that on the legs, shoulders, and buttocks are tougher and stronger than those used infrequently, like those along the belly and spine.
Pot Roast and Gravy Recipe
Equipment
- Large Dutch Oven
- Pan
- Tight Lid
- Medium-Sized Saucepan
- Jelly Jar
Ingredients
Pot Roast Ingredients
- 4 pounds Chuck, Round, or Shoulder Roast
- Oil for Browning the Meat
- 2 cups Beef Stock
- 1/2 pound Baby Carrots or 3 to 4 large whole carrots, scrubbed, peeled and chopped into large chunks
- 1 pound Red Tomatoes scrubbed with the skins on; chopped into large pieces
- 2 tbsp Minced Garlic
- Salt
- 1/4 cup Worcestershire Sauce
Gravy Ingredients
- 3 cups Beef Broth you can use the drippings from the pan as well
- 3 tbsp Cornstarch
- 1 tbsp Onion Powder
- 1 tbsp Garlic Powder
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
- 1/4 cup Cold Water
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.
- Remove the meat from the wrapping and allow the roast to come to room temperature on a plate in the kitchen. Sprinkle it on all surfaces with about a teaspoon of salt.
- In a large Dutch oven, heat two or three tablespoons of cooking oil over medium-high heat.
- When the oil is hot, put the roast in the pan and allow it to brown on all sides. It should take about five minutes per side to get a nice, dark brown color on the meat.
- Remove the meat from the pan to a plate. If the oil is mostly gone, add a little more to the pan, just enough to coat the bottom of it.
- Add the two tablespoons of garlic to the oil and cook the garlic until it is golden brown in color. This should take two or three minutes.
- Remove the pan from the heat and return the meat to the pan.
- Around the sides of the meat, place the baby carrots and the red potatoes. Sprinkle the vegetables with salt.
- Add the beef stock along the sides of the vegetables. Pour the Worcestershire sauce over the top of the meat.
- Place a tight-fitting lid onto the Dutch oven and place it in the center of the oven.
- Bake the meat for about three to four hours. After this time the meat should be moist, tender, and falling apart.
- Remove the meat and vegetables from the pan to a platter.
- Now, move on to making the gravy. Reserve the drippings from the Dutch oven and add a bit more beef stock or beef broth to the drippings to make three cups of broth.
- Stir the Worcestershire sauce into the broth along with the onion powder and garlic powder.
- Place this mixture into a medium-sized saucepan and bring it to a boil over medium heat.
- In a small jelly jar with a tightly fitting lid, place ¼ cup water and the 3 tablespoons of cornstarch. Put the lid on the jar and shake it well.
- When the broth mixture is at a full rolling boil, whisk this mixture into the saucepan of hot broth.
- Continue to stir and boil this mixture until it is thickened.
- Serve immediately over rice, noodles, or potatoes.
Notes
April Freeman enjoys creating all kinds of recipes for her friends and family from her country kitchen in Middle Tennessee. She and her family raise beef cattle, chickens, and all sorts of fruits and veggies on their farm, and she specializes in featuring farm-fresh foods in the recipes that she creates and serves. April says that her slogan is “Are you hungry?” and she feels that one way of showing love and connecting with others is to serve delicious favorite foods to others. Her favorite thing to cook is pies of all kinds.
