When we talk about comfort food in my family, pot roast is always at the top of the list. We talk about the way my mother made it, but we talk about the way we’ve made it for decades.
If my mother were living, she would be 99 years old. Her pot roast was unmatched during my childhood. Long before the days of crockpots, Mother slow cooked her beef chuck roast for a long time and ended with the most tender and flavorful meal. Chuck roast was the key and probably the cut of roast that we could best afford, We did raise a cow one time and put beef in the freezer, but that was not common. The corner grocery store was where our meat came from.
In a big cast iron deep skillet with a good lid, Mother would brown her roast on all sides. Salt, pepper, chopped onion and a couple cups of water is all she added to begin the very slow simmer. The heavy lid was a must. Potatoes and carrots were added later and by suppertime (dinner) or Sunday dinnertime (lunch) we had the wonderful meal.
My husband’s favorite pot roast recipe couldn’t have been easier. The meat was browned then placed in a heavy casserole with a lid. We covered the roast with onion soup mix, added a couple cups of water and let it bake at 325 degrees for 3 or 4 hours. Perfect at the end.
Joe and I made pot roast using the onion soup mix for decades. I’m tired of that flavor and because I end up with too much meat left over and converted to other meals, I’m really tired of that flavor. I’m also tired of having too much pot roast left over, so I had the butcher cut a nice 4 pound roast into 3 pieces for me. I’ll cook one at a time.
I love leeks and found some really pretty ones at the fresh foods market. I’m also loving two seasoning rubs from Pampered Chef … Dijon Mustard and Three Onion. My choice for bouillon these days is “Better than Bouillon” and the sauteed onion flavor is so good.
Add mashed potatoes and mixed vegetables to this meal and you have something that takes you back to your childhood … or something that creates new memories for grandchildren.
The recipe is simple. Let me say first, If you are cooking a 1 – 2 pound roast, high in the crockpot for 2 -3 hours does the trick. You can cook it on low for double the time and if the roast is closer to 4 pounds, you’ll need to cook it on low for 8 hours. Perfect to set it up before you leave for work.
