So I deviate a lot from plans. Mostly when it comes to food. I mean, I think I know what I want to make, plan the menu, but then something happens, like I come across an ingredient in a store that I just have to make, or something like and event throws the whole menu off. So where is this going? Very simple, I made an addition to my last week’s menu: I made pot roast. Initially, I made it for the wrong reasons: it was easy to make, it was not a lot of prep, I had little time blah blah.HOWEVER, it was the coziest, most satisfying dish to have on a December afternoon. Also, I love nothing more than a good piece of meat (true story).

So what makes it “fragrant” (sounds weird, but I could not think of a better word), is the herbs. Make sure they are fresh, not dry. It really makes the world of difference. Ultimately, you can also use any vegetables you’d like here (zucchini, squash) or omit the vegetables all-together and serve it with rice (but then make sure you add more broth to the pot, because it’s the vegetables that release some the liquid when they cook).

So the roast: it’s pretty simple and full proof (you could also do this in a slow cooker, hence no oversight at all). For me, the most important is to first fry the roast on all sides to add some crust and color.

Fragrant Pot Roast

• Time: 3.5 hours
• Print

All the main characters (minus the veggies)

• 2-3 pound Chuck Roast
• variety of herbs: rosemary; thyme; tarragon
• salt and pepper (to taste)
• 2 tbs olive oil
• 1 bag of fingerling potatoes
• 2 medium sized carrots
• 2 stalks of celery
• 1 cup of sliced/diced mushrooms
• 1 large onion diced
• 5 cloves of garlic

1. Pre-heat the oven to 300F
2. Liberally salt and pepper the roast.
3. Chop the herbs, and rub them all over the roast. Make small cuts in the Roast and stuff the garlic cloves into the holes. Let the Roast rest.
4. Chop/dice the vegetables and place them in a separate bowl
5. Heat olive oil in a dutch oven (or another oven safe pot/cast iron pot)
6. Brown the roast on all sides until brown in color (not too long, about 2-3 minutes each side)
7. Remove the roast; in the same pot add more oil and toss in the vegetables and sauté
8. Once the vegetables are done, place the Roast in the pot, moving the veggies around to surround the Roast.
9. At this point, if desired, you can add a bit of wine and/or beef broth (don’t overdo it, because you don’t want your vegetables to be swimming in water).
10. Place the pot in the oven and cook for about 2.5-3 hours (depending on the oven you have, mine is electric and cooks things a lot faster, if you have a gas one, it may take longer so the time is an estimate, use your judgment)
11. Take the Roast out and let rest for a bit. The meat should be falling apart when pulled by a fork, that’s how tender it should be (and it obviously should not bleed).
12. Use lotsa bread to dip, and enjoy with a glass of wine!