I don't need a "recipe" for pot roast but I'm trying to find a good solution for roasting in the oven instead of simmering on the stovetop. I found this recipe so I'm saving it just for the instructions. This is from Ree Drummond on Food Network who is very reliable, I've made several of her recipes and they usually turn out great. .
Simmering on the stovetop takes a lot of continuous monitoring and adjusting because the hunk of beef is cold (even after browning), so as it gradually warms up the heat needs continuous reducing to maintain a low simmer. Cook's Illustrated has a recipe that roasts it at 300 deg; I tried it but by the time it was done almost all the liquid had evaporated and there wasn't any left for gravy. Alton Brown (also Food Network) has a recipe with a very low oven setting of 190 - 200 deg. In his discussion he points out that the goal is to maintain a low simmer and not "boil" the meat; water boils at 212 deg so he keeps the temp below that. This recipe uses 275 deg which I felt was too high, so in my first experiment I set the oven to 225 deg. That actually worked very well, the meat was very tender. My big problem was I roasted it for too long, probably close to 5 hours because it was a very thick hunk of meat, but the meat was TOO tender and basically fell apart on its own when I tried to remove it from the pot.
Ingredients
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
One 3- to 5-pound chuck roast
2 or 3 tablespoons olive oil
2 whole onions, peeled and halved
6 to 8 whole carrots, unpeeled, cut into 2-inch pieces
1 cup red wine, optional
3 cups beef broth
2 or 3 sprigs fresh rosemary
2 or 3 sprigs fresh thyme
Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 225 degrees F (NOTE: her recipe calls for 275 F but I think that's too high so I've successfully dropped it to 225 F). .
2. Generously salt and pepper the chuck roast.
3. Heat the olive oil in large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the halved onions to the pot, browning them on both sides. Remove the onions to a plate.
4. Throw the carrots into the same very hot pot and toss them around a bit until slightly browned, about a minute or so. Reserve the carrots with the onions.
5. If needed, add a bit more olive oil to the very hot pot. Place the meat in the pot and sear it for about a minute on all sides until it is nice and brown all over. Remove the roast to a plate.
6. With the burner still on high, use either red wine or beef broth (about 1 cup) to deglaze the pot, scraping the bottom with a whisk. Place the roast back into the pot and add enough beef stock to cover the meat halfway.
7. Add in the onions and the carrots, along with the fresh herbs.
8. Put the lid on, then roast for 3 hours for a 3-pound roast. For a 4 to 5-pound roast, plan on 4 hours. The roast is ready when it's fall-apart tender.