Homestyle Pot Roast

My momma (The Boy's mum) has a great recipe for pot roast. I remember sitting at her dinner table one cold Christmas night and tucking into this hearty braise and watching in horror as The Boy creamed his plate with barbecue sauce. =)

This braise has plenty of flavour enough - thanks to the sweetness of the vegs and the tanginess of the Worcestershire sauce. And it's so very easy - 'put in a pot and forget about it' easy - like most braises. The uniqueness of this braise, however, is that it is cooked on the stove for a very very long time on very very low heat, much like a slow-cooker, but with very very little braising liquid. The meat basically braises in its own juices. You wouldn't even know it's cooking just by looking at it, but it is.

It's simple, basic, and hearty. Thanks for the recipe, momma Akins!

RECIPE: HOMESTYLE POT ROAST
(serves as much as you can fit in your Dutch oven!)
(cooking time: at least 4 hours)

1 Dutch oven with a heavy lid

A - Meat
Brisket or Chuck (approx 1/2 pound per person)
1 onion, chopped finely

B - Braising liquid
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce per pound of meat
1/2 tbsp Light soy per pound of meat
1/2 tbsp Dark soy per pound of meat
1 tbsp Water per pound of meat

C - Vegetables
1 Onion, cut into small cubes
3 Carrots, cut into small rounds
2 Potatoes, diced into small cubes (I substitute one sweet potato to enhance the sweetness)
Celery, diced (adds depth to the flavour)

A - Heat 2-3 tbsp of canola oil into your Dutch oven till very hot. Brown the meat on both sides. Take out and set aside (I usually place them on the overturned cover of my Dutch oven).

B - Add 1 tbsp oil in Dutch oven and fry the chopped onions till soft. Add braising liquids and, when it is bubbling, use a wooden spoon to scrape off the bits at the bottom of the Dutch oven. Return the meat into the Dutch oven and arrange it in a single layer, making sure that there is a layer of onions below and on top of the meat. Cover with parchment paper (punching the middle down till it's almost touching the meat) and a heavy lid. Braise on very very low heat for at least 4 hours.

* Now, don't worry that the liquids are going to dry out after such a long time. If you use a very very low heat, it won't. The idea is to use the meat's own juices to cook the meat. In fact, don't be surprised if, in step C, you see a puddle of water collected on the surface of the parchment paper when you remove the lid! Scoop that water out and throw it away please.

C - 50 minutes before serving time, remove the parchment paper and taste. Add more Worcestershire sauce or soy as needed. Add the vegetables in and return the lid on. When ready to serve, take the meat out and cut into big chunks. Mix it all up and... viola!

Serve with mash potatoes or rice. We also had vegetarian dumplings for appetizers and cupcakes from Crave for dessert last night - yums! Thank you for the cupcakes, L!