Moms Sunday Pot Roast Recipes

MOM'S POT ROAST

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Season the meat with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over high heat. Sear the meat all over, about 2 minutes per each side.
• Move the meat to the side (or remove it from the pot altogether if necessary), add the celery, carrot and onion and brown the vegetables, stirring occasionally, about 3 minutes.
• Add the garlic and cook for a minute or 2 longer. Add the wine to deglaze the pot, scraping up the browned bits on the bottom. Add the tomatoes, water and bay leaves (and the meat if you removed it). Bring the liquid to a simmer and taste for seasoning. Add more salt if necessary. Cover the pot and bake, basting the meat occasionally, until tender, about 3 hours.
• About 20 minutes before the meat is tender, bring a pot of water to a boil and salt liberally. Add the shells, give it a stir and cook until al dente according to the package instructions. Drain the pasta.
• To serve, you can pull the meat apart with a couple of forks right in the pot at the table. Serve with the pasta, plenty of sauce and vegetables, tossing them all together.

MOM'S SUNDAY POT ROAST

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325­°.
• Season flour with salt and pepper; dredge the meat in the seasoned flour.
• Heat bacon fat in a heavy skillet (cast iron is preferred). When hot, sear/brown meat on all sides.
• Transfer meat to a roaster or Dutch oven. (Mom always used her enameled roaster.).
• Mix consommé with one (soup) can of water, bring to a boil, and pour over the meat.
• Cover, place in preheated oven, and roast for two (2) hours, turning meat over after about an hour.
• Remove roaster from oven, add carrots and onions, cover, return roaster to oven for another hour. (Additional water or broth may be added if necessary.).
• Remove roaster and add potatoes; cover and return to oven for another hour or until potatoes are done.
• Remove meat and vegetables to serving dishes, cover with foil to keep warm until ready to serve.
• Optional gravy:.
• Skim most fat from juices in pan (leave about 2 Tbs) and add enough liquid (water or beef broth) to make two cups. Mix 1/4 cup of cold water with 2 tablespoons of corn starch. Bring juices to a boil and stir in the cornstarch mixture. Cook for one minute, stirring constantly, until gravy is thickened.
• Variations:.
• - Add two ribs of celery, cut in 1.5 inch pieces when adding the carrots and onions.
• - Add 1 or 2 turnips, cut in eighths (roughly 1" pieces) when you add adding the potatoes.
• - Combine consommé with tomato juice instead of water. (Mom would never have done this, but there were plenty of other families that couldn't imagine preparing their pot roast any other way.).
• - Add 2 cloves and a bay leaf when adding meat to the roaster pan.