Zipped Up POT ROAST (SHHH, the secret is Tomato Juice)

Old school today.  No big reinvention, a pretty basic Pot Roast, cooked in a dutch oven, slow cooked for maximum tenderness.  I adapted a recipe I saw Emeril cook once.  I already gave the secret away, but my my my did it ever add to the taste!


Could not begin to recommend this recipe higher.


BTW, the beef was on sale.  It was going to expire the next day.  I bought it for just 69 cents a pound!!!  It pays to get to know your meat guy.  When he saw me, he pointed out the "deal"


Just braggin... Here's what I did...

5 pounds of COW!
Olive Oil (enough to brown roast)
Salt and Pepper (freshly ground


6 ounces Tomato Juice
Beef Stock to raise the liquid level to 1 inch shy of covering roast


4 large carrots, cut
4 potatoes, cut
2 onions... yes, I cut em
1 Bay Leaf and whatever spices you might like (I used 2 TBS of "Not Your Grandmother's Herbes de Provence")


Set your roast out for 1 hour to come to room temperature.  This allows the muscles in the beef to relax and allow the juices to soak into the meat (makes for a much more tender roast).


In a heavy frying pan, add the oil and heat to high, just shy of smoking.


Season the beef with the salt and pepper, top, bottom and all sides.


Brown the sides, top and bottom


Put in a heavy cast iron dutch oven , add the tomato juice.  Then add the vegetables around the sides.  then add enough beef broth to bring the liquid level up to within an inch of the top.


Add the spices.


Cover the Dutch Oven, and put in the oven, set at only 225 degrees to slow roast the meat.  Took about 6 hours at this temperature.  I used an instant read meat thermometer to make sure the meat reached 160 degrees.  DO NOT COOK BY TIME.  Use the meat thermometer.  Also, NEVER EVER EVER cut into the roast to check doneness.  All of the juices pour out and the meat gets very dry fast.


Once the meat has reached internal temp of 160, remove from the oven and wrap in aluminum foil for 20 minutes.  You can remove the Dutch Oven from the oven.  Leave the lid on and the vegetables will stay plenty hot while the meat rests.


Slice thin (another way to get the most tender meat), serve with a mix of the vegetables and pour a bit of the broth over the entire thing...


And call your Mother.  She used to make pot roast for Sunday supper.  Something about this makes me miss her.

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