Ultimate Pot Roast
from https://www.tasteofhome.com/

Braising (from the French word, "braiser") is a combination-cooking method that uses both moist and dry heats: typically, the food is first seared at a high temperature, then finished in a covered pot at a lower temperature while sitting in some amount of liquid (such as wine, broth, coconut milk or beer with aromatics added for flavor). Braising of meat is often referred to as pot roasting. It is similar to stewing, but braising is done with less liquid and usually used for larger cuts of meat.

The meat you use to make pot roast is important. A favorite choice is the chuck roast; it has wonderful marbling throughout the meat, and when given an ample amount of time to cook, chuck roast winds up being tender and melt-in-your-mouth delicious. To understand the importance of adequate cooking time, you must understand that these tougher pieces of meat have lots of tough connective tissue that will only soften when cooked at a lower temperature for a long period of time. You can’t rush a pot roast; you’ll be disappointed with the result if you try.

Note: Reviewers of Pot Roast recipes say that braising the roast in the oven tastes so much better than Pot Roasts made in a slow cooker.

Also see Julia Child's Pot Roast. She marinates the roast in a red wine marinade for at least 6 hours, or up to a day, before browning the roast and braising it in the oven. Many reviewers think this technique makes her pot roast extra flavorful.

1 boneless beef chuck-eye or other chuck roast (3 to 4 pounds)
2 teaspoons pepper
2 teaspoons salt, divided
2 tablespoons canola oil
2 medium onions, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 celery ribs, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried thyme
2 bay leaves
1 cup dry red wine or reduced-sodium beef broth [reviewers say using the wine is so much better]
2 cups reduced-sodium beef broth
1 pound small red potatoes, quartered
4 medium parsnips, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces
6 medium carrots, cut into 2-inch pieces
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 325°. Pat roast dry with a paper towel; tie at 2-in. intervals with kitchen string. Sprinkle roast with pepper and 1-1/2 teaspoons salt. In a Dutch oven, heat oil over medium-high heat. Brown roast on all sides. Remove from pan.

Add onions, celery and 1/2 teaspoon salt to the same pan; cook and stir over medium heat 8-10 minutes or until onions are browned. Add garlic, tomato paste, thyme and bay leaves; cook and stir 1 minute longer.

Add wine, stirring to loosen browned bits from pan; stir in broth. Return roast to pan. Arrange potatoes, parsnips and carrots around roast [you may want to add vegetables you plan to serve with the roast until a little later so they don't turn to mush. Maybe add just onion, carrot and some celery for flavor at this point, and remove and discard when the roast is done]; bring to a boil. Bake, covered, until meat is fork-tender, 2-2-1/2 hours. [Getting a chuck roast to fork-tender can take longer than this.]

[I would like some of these vegetables to serve with the roast: potatoes, carrots, parsnips. celery. Check the roast and add the vegertables so that they finish cooking when the roast is done. This will take some guess work.]

Remove roast and vegetables from pan; keep warm. Discard bay leaves; skim fat from cooking juices. On stovetop, bring juices to a boil; cook until liquid is reduced by half (about 1-1/2 cups), 10-12 minutes. Stir in vinegar and parsley; season with salt and pepper to taste.

Remove string from roast. Serve with vegetables and sauce.

Yield: 8 servings