Thaw the meat....almost all the way....a little ice in the center is OK.
Find a heavy pan with a tight lid...
get a little fat in the bottom of that pan, either put a piece of the fat from the meat in the pan or a slice of bacon or a Tablespoon of oil.
Have the heat on medium, place the meat in the pan and let it brown, turn it over....do that with all sides of the meat, slowly turning and letting it brown.
When it's almost all browned add a small onion chopped, or 1/2 a large one chopped.
Stir the onion around so it browns too....
Then add about a cup of liquid. That could be red wine, beef broth, beer, coke, chicken broth if you must! or even just water. Toss in a bay leaf, a pinch of dry thyme, or oregano, maybe a dash of worchestershire, cover tightly and keep at a very VERY low simmer for about an hour.
If you want to add carrots and potatoes, now is the time, peel and chunk up some carrots and potatoes,a dd to the pot, add a little more liquid if you need to, cover and simmer until the carrots are done, about another 30 to 45 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste, but if you ahve used broth it won't need much.
Yum!
All told including the time spent browning, it should cook for 2 1/4 to 2 1/2 hours.
Linda C

Thanks Linda! Do you turn yours over half way through? Or just leave in the original position the whole time?

Tammy

Here's a thread with photos that I posted in spring at another board.

Here is a link that might be useful: Step-by-step pot roast

Dang......my clip didn;t show up! Yes turn it on all sides and edges make sure everything getsw ell browned.
Linda C

The technique I use is similar to LindaC but I use onion, celery and carrot chopped quite small after browning the meat. I throw it in and let it soften, maybe 5 to 7 minutes. The liquid I add is some red wine, some stock and some tomato sauce, maybe covering 1/2 the piece of meat. Simmer away about as long as Linda says. My 7 year old LOVES this dinner!!! I have served with homemade gnocchi, egg noodles, mashed potatoes and I think even rice.

Enjoy...ps leftovers go towards minestrone soup.

Sounds good to me! All of these do.

Linda, I guess I should have said... after browning on all sides, adding liquid, and cooking for an hour, do I turn the roast over? Or just leave it in the same position it started in. I feel like it needs to be turned since it isn't covered in liquid, but maybe that's a nono.

No need to turn. Moisture will evaporate up, hit the lid, & drop back down on top of the meat...self basting essentially.

Enjoy!

/tricia

I find that potatoes absorb all the flavor and leave the meat bland. I cook them separately. I don't add any fat to the pan but put the meat in the very hot pan, let it sear and turn it when it releases. If you leave it alone until it is ready to release you will be able to turn it without tearing the browned bits off. Sear all sides then add chopped onion, several cloves of crushed garlic, herbs and carrots if you like them. I often add either fresh Italian plum tomatoes or a can of whole tomatoes, in which case my herbs will be thyme and oregano. Cover and simmer for an hour or more. Cool the meat completely in the fridge. Remove from pan and slice across the grain, return slices to pan, cover slices with the gravy, cover with tight lid and simmer for another hour. Slicing the cold meat and returning to simmer guarantees a tender, not stringy pot roast.

You can cook pot roast without adding any liquid. After searing and adding the herbs and aromatics cover tightly and cook over low heat. The meat will release its own juices.You can adjust seasonings according to your own tastes. There is nothing in the world like a well cooked, tender pot roast and there are many ways to accomplish it, but slicing against the grain is essential. I don't know why. This I learned from my mother in law and I have never seen it to fail.

My favorite way to do a roast, especially if I don't want to have to watch it is put it in the crock pot on high. I don't prebrown at all. I keep on hand a beef flavored soup base and just sprinkle a couple of tablespoons on top along with dried onions. You can also just use a package of onion soup mix. Put the lid on and 6 hours or so later (check it at 4 hours), you have a delicious, very brown roast with enough broth for gravy.

I like to do this when I work outside in the garden. No constant checking to see if it needs more water or is burning.

If it's summer time I generally just toss it in the crockpot with some wine and stock. Adding the vegetables later so they don't get mushy.

I do a very simple pot roast.

I render a few slices of bacon. I pepper my meat well. I sear my meat on all sides including the thin edges.

I remove the meat from the pot/pan and brown my veggies quickly in the drippings. The veggies include potatoes, carrots and onions and a teeny bit of celery.

I remove the veggies and I return the meat to the pot and add water and beef stock and simmer on the lowest setting for an hour.

After an hour, I return the veggies and simmer for another hour to hour-and-a-half.

Sometimes I add a touch of wine (where's that Chianti?) and sometimes I throw in a slurry of cornstarch and water at the end to thicken the gravy. Sometimes I throw in a couple of sprigs of thyme with the veggies.

I never turn the meat.

Joe

Thanks everybody! I used Linda's recipe yesterday because she answered first and I started it shortly after I read her post. It turned out delicious! Although, I had to cook it for about 3 1/2 hours. I think I may have had my burner turned TOO low.

Well, now I has a stash of ways to try next. Thanks again.

For the chuck roast size I buy, 3 and 1/3 hours would be about right. If you cook it too fast (higher temperatures) it will be tough.
You can also brown it in an oven proof pan, add everything then put it in a 275 degree oven and that will do the same thing as the stove top.

Should read, now I HAVE a stash... just so you know I'm not a complete idiot, only a partial one... lol