Pot Roast

This recipe is my adaptation of Pioneer Woman’s “Perfect Pot Roast” recipe. And it’s delicious.

Chop celery stalks into one inch pieces. (If the pieces are longer, it’s harder to eat the celery once it’s cooked because it gets sort of stringy.) Set aside.

Heat a large skillet or pan over medium-high heat. Add 3 tablespoons of olive oil. (Be careful if the oil starts to pop as it heats.)

Generously add salt, pepper and garlic powder to both sides of the roast. (If you prefer to add fresh garlic into the crockpot instead, that’s fine, too.) I use a whole lot of coarse black pepper.

Peel the onion then cut it in half from the root to the tip. I like to use white onions because they are sweeter. (You could always use more onions if you want). Cut both of the ends of the onion off. Once the oil in the pan gets hot, stick the onions in there. The goal is to get some really nice dark color on the onions. It’ll make a big difference in the end flavor and presentation. Brown all sides of the onion halves then move them to a plate or bowl.

Wash the carrots really well and cut them into two inch pieces. (I don’t peel mine. I like the texture of an unpeeled carrot.) Stick the carrots in the hot pan with the olive oil until they develop a nice darker color on one side. Move the carrots aside to a plate or bowl.

You may have to add a bit more olive oil to the hot pan—make sure there’s some in there to sear the roast. Place the roast in the pan for about a minute or two on each side to brown it. When finished, move the roast into the crockpot.

Now, add about 1/2 can of the beef broth into the hot pan with any remaining oil. Also add the dry onion soup mix, Worcestershire sauce, and A-1 sauce. Turn the heat up until the mixture bubbles a bit. Grab a whisk and deglaze all that yummy stuff from the bottom of the pan. Remove mixture from heat.

Add carrots, celery and onion on top of the roast in the crockpot. Add the remaining 1/2 can beef broth, 3/4 cup water, and all of the liquid from the hot pan.

Add the sprigs of thyme and the leaves from the parsley sprigs on top of everything. Dried thyme and parsley is fine as well.

Cover the crockpot and cook on low for 7 hours. Smells great, right? I like to serve this pot roast with garlic mashed potatoes. Yummm.