Photo by Cafe Kim

Do you remember on Sundays when Mom used to make her famous pot roast? I don't. Because my mom never did. So to compensate for my childhood deprivations, I've been trying to perfect this recipe for pot roast for my own family. It's delicious, takes about three hours to make, and—this should go without saying given that it's Wednesday—can be made in one pot!


My recipe for Pot Roast is slightly adapted from The Art of Simple Food, by Alice Waters (one of my all-time favorite cookbooks).

2.5 pounds of beef roast (in terms of flavor, it's best to get one ribbed with fat. I try to keep it healthy and choose a leaner piece of meat, which sacrifices a bit on taste, but it's still good. If you end up using a fattier piece of meat, be sure to strain any fat that rises to the top of your cooking liquid).

salt

pepper

Italian seasoning

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 onion, cut in large pieces

4 cloves garlic

1 carrot, cut in large pieces

1 celery stalk, cut in large pieces

2 tablespoons dried thyme

1 bay leaf

1/2 cup red wine

water or broth

3 carrots, cut in 1 inch pieces

6 small red potatoes, quartered


Season meat with salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning. Heat oil in Dutch oven. Brown meat for three minutes on each side. Add onion, garlic, and carrot to the pot (under meat). Add thyme and bay leaf. Pour in wine. Add enough water/broth to come almost to the top of the meat. Bring to a simmer. Cover, adjust the heat to maintain a slow simmer, and cook until meat is very tender (about two and a half to three hours).


When meat is cooked, take it out of the liquid. Strain liquid. Discard vegetables. Return liquid to pot and bring back to simmer. Slice roast and put back in pot. Add carrots and potatoes (or other seasonal veggies of your choice) and simmer until veggies are cooked to desired tenderness. Serves 4.