Dutch oven....takes about 3 to 4 hours...
What kind of roast and how big?
Linda C

3.95 lb USDA Choice Beef Round Bottom Round Roast.

Maggie, I've always felt that the key to producing a good flavored pot roast is in the browning. I always use the braising method of cooking pot roast.
First I trim excess fat from the meat. I heat up my dutch oven on the stove on med high. When that is hot then I drop in the trimmed fat. As the fat cooks it releases the oils that I'm going to brown my roast in. If your roast is to lean to produce enough oil you cam add vegetable oil.
Turn the heat down a bit to med low, discard the fat solids and place your meat in the pan.
Browning the meat slowly is what develops the flavor.

Now it gets real personal, I salt and pepper, sprinkle with chopped garlic, thyme and I usually add at least two medium onions (cut in slices). My DM always just used water for the liquid but I like to use a combination of beef broth and red wine in about a 3 to 1 ratio. You can add carrots at this time also. I add potatoes a bit later, when the meat is about half way cooked. Most of the time I do my potatoes separate as we really prefer them mashed.
Reduce the heat to low, almost to a simmer.

When meat is tender, remove it along with the carrots and potatoes and make gravy.

Nancy

Nancy, do you flour or salt and pepper before browning?

I do mine like Nancy,although I make slits in the roast and put cloves of garlic in them,maybe 5-6.I salt and pepper befor browning.It always turns out great.I may have to buy a chuck roast now.

Shelley

No, I don't use any flour. I do use S+P while the first side is browning. Then when I flip there will be some on the bottom.

Nancy

Okay, thanks! I think I have been making the mistake of using flour in the past!

It's all browned up - nice crust - and it smells great! I ended up using Monterrey Steak seasoning. Seemed it had everything in it. Red wine, beef boullion. I think I will do mashed, too. I don't really like the potatoes cooked with it- but I like the carrots.

Thank you!!

I do it liek nancy....but I don't use thyme, but I do use bayleaf....and sometimes I use flour on the outside of the meat....won't hurt and it may help.
But..Slooooooow browning and brown all sides very well. That's where the flavor comes from.
Oh and I don't put carrots in with the meat....but sometimes I do put in mushrooms!
Linda C

Well I almost always use Chuck Roast for Pot Roast. I cook just like Nancy. Onions, salt, pepper and garlic are a must IMO and I do chop up some celery too. I like the carrots in the roast and do it often. Sometimes I do add the potatoes later in the cooking time and other times I cook the potatoes either mashed, gratin, etc. via stovetop.

I make a great one from and old Better Homes and Gardens book, tweaked a bit.

I do use s and p with salt the roast after I dry it off (this is important to browning I find) . Use a combo of butter and oil to brown, but really brown it up. The add in 2 diced stalks celery, 1 onion, small dice and a large carrot small dice. The veggies sort of start to deglaze, and then after browning them for 3 to 5 min or so add in about 3/4 c red wine to totally deglaze. The add in about 2 c beef broth and at least 1 c really good homemade plain tomato sauce. I do add in some thyme, little oregano and a bay, but amounts and spices vary depending on the type of sauce I have made. I try to get the liquid about half way up the roast at least.

The bring liquid up to a boil and stick in 325 degree oven for at least 3 hrs.

Chance will gobble this up and have leftovers for days.

I posted this just before Christmas; it's a traditional Christmas Eve dish in Provence. It's nothing but a gussied up pot roast. It's not difficult, but it does require some planning.

This link is to a Niman Ranch website in which they reproduce a recipe from Molly Stevens' great cookbook, All About Braising. It's for a fancy pot roast called Estouffade de Noel, or Christmas Estouffade. Naturally they call for Niman Ranch products, and I'm sure they're excellent, but I have made this Estouffade before with ordinary supermarket meats and it has come out absolutely delicious.

One advantage to it is that it can be for the most part cooked a day or two in advance, so your last minute task is simply to reheat it and cook up some sort of noodle to soak up the scrumptious juices.

It's fabulous. Very rich and elegant but not at all stuffy or fussy. The pig's foot does make the dish rich, but you needn't bother picking off the meat and chopping it up at the end if you don't want to. (My dog did appreciate the pig foot, though.)

Here is a link that might be useful: christmas estouffade

I also think the browning of the meat without flour is key to a great roast. Here is my method:
I brown the meat nut brown (but don't burn!) first on all sides and remove to a plate.
Then I add onions and brown and remove to a plate. Then I add flour and brown well.
Next I add at least one cup red wine- usually a Cabernet Sauvignon and a cup of strong beef broth.
Then everything goes back into the pot with some seasonings: salt, pepper, thyme, garlic and a bay leaf. Bring just to a boil and put in the oven at 275. Cook for several hours until tender. It makes it's own gravy.
My favorite cut is chuck roast.

Pretty much the same deal here, but the only seasoning besides the veggies is salt, black pepper and rosemary. After browning the chuck roast in the Dutch oven I add 1-1/2 cups of whatever combination of red wine and/or broth I have on hand and put it in a 325º oven for 90 minutes. I take it out of the oven, turn the roast and add carrots, whole onions and cut up potatoes and put it back in the oven for another 90 minutes. After 3 hours total in the oven I remove the meat to the cutting board and tent it with foil, remove the veggies to a warmed pottery bowl and cover them with foil, and reduce the braising liquid on top of the stove until the spatula just starts to leave a clean streak on the bottom. I slice the beef 1/4" thick and plate it with the veggies. The braising liquid goes in a gravy boat on the side.

Relative to the vessel you are cooking your pot roast in approximately how much liquid do you cook it in? Enough to cover the bottom 1/4 or 1/2 the roast ?

I pretty much do the same as Nancy. I never use flour. I find that meat browns so much better when you don't use flour. Same goes for when you are browning stewing beef.

Once the meat is brown, remove it from the pan. Slice onions and add to the pan and cook until they start to brown, add a number of cloves of garlic, put the roast back in the pan. I add a splash of red wine and beef broth,(never water) salt, pepper, and a squirt of tomato paste. I very seldom add carrots because I don't like the sweetness they add to the gravy. Cover and cook in a low oven 275° to 300°F. I find it is best to cook the pot roast early in the day, and when it is done, wrap the roast in foil and refrigerate. This is how I was taught to make brisket by a Jewish friend, years ago. Makes it much easier to slice the meat. Put the pot of broth in the fridge and when cold, remove the fat. You can thicken the gravy with flour and butter or you can use a stick blender to puree the onions and the broth. Warm up the meat in the gravy and serve.

Ann

"Relative to the vessel you are cooking your pot roast in approximately how much liquid do you cook it in? Enough to cover the bottom 1/4 or 1/2 the roast?"

It covers about the bottom 1/4 of the roast. With a tight fitting lid on the Dutch oven even that is more than needed. I use that much so I can reduce the braising liquid for a sauce.

--Doug

Wow! It was so delicous. Not using flour and really taking the time to brown made a huge difference. I also used way less liquid then I usually do. I think I will heat it up that way today, Ann.

Thank you!!! I have some other ideas to try from here for next time, too! I saved the recipe, Arley.