Wednesday, August 22, 2018

POT ROAST AND VEGETABLES RECIPE

I love when 2nd Man makes his pot roast and vegetables.  I usually miss the pics because I'm not home when he makes it.  This time I was there and got most of the pics, except for a couple when I took a nap, oops!


We started with a 4 lb beef chuck roast.  The veggies we use are 2 large yellow onions, a couple dozen or so fingerling potatoes, 1 bunch of celery, 6 large carrots, and 2 bay leaves. 

Coat the roast in all purpose flour.  No seasoning (though you could if you preferred). 


Chop up all the veggies (except potatoes) into large chunks.  Separate them into two groups, of about 3 carrots, 1 onion, and half the celery stalks each.  Put all the potatoes in the second group.

You'll see why in a moment.  


Meanwhile, brown the roast on top of the stove with some salt, pepper, and a couple of TBSP of olive oil.  If possible, brown it in the same pan you will use in the oven (you don't want to miss all the bottom of the pan flavor).  You aren't cooking it at this point, you're just adding the wonderful color for later on.  Brown both sides well.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.


Add the first batch of veggies (no potatoes) to the pan with the browned roast...


Next take 4 cups of beef broth.  You can use canned, homemade, whatever you have on hand. 


Pour that over the meat and veggies and add 2 bay leaves. Cover and cook for about 2 1/2 hours at 350.  

Now here is where I missed a couple of photos (sorry):


After 2 1/2 hours, take the pan out of the oven, uncover and remove the roast and bay leaves only and set them aside.  Using a stick blender (they are miracle tools in the kitchen) blend the first batch of roasted veggies into the cooking liquid.

You can remove them and do them in a blender of course, just be careful, it's hot.  Whichever way you do it, once you have created this puree of vegetables and broth, leave it in the pan and put the roast (and bay leaves) back into it.


Add the potatoes and the other half of chopped carrots, onions and celery.  Cover and cook for another hour or hour and a half until the meat is tender and the potatoes are done.  


Meanwhile, make a batch of polenta on the stove top.    Polenta and water, whisking constantly.  A little butter .  Whisk until absorbed. 

You could also go the easy route and do mashed potatoes but we just love this combination.  


We shredded up some parmesan reggiano, 1 cup, and add it to the cooked polenta. Stir until melted into the polenta.  


Remove the roast from the oven and uncover.  Fish out the bay leaves and serve.  It's falling apart tender.  The pureed veggies and broth have turned into a gravy.  Inside all that are the cooked carrots, celery, onions and potatoes.  


Serve over polenta (or on the side) with vegetables and gravy. 

Enjoy!




18 comments:

  1. Looks Fantastic. Yes, 2nd man, you may come and cook a meal for me any day.
    Giving my roast a nice covering of my homemade beef rub on both sides the day before & placing in refrigerator over night; I do braise my roast as well so that I get that nice brown covering on the outside and I do use vegetable broth more so than beef broth

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    1. Hey, you can do the same for us, I've seen some of your food pics!! I like the idea of a beef rub and letting it go overnight . We might have to try that next time. braising is the word I was looking for. I'll have to edit that. Thanks for the suggestion.

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  2. YOWSA! Bookmarked!

    Honestly, 1st Man, you eat better than anybody on earth, you are so very lucky to have Mr. 2 to share your life & two kitchens with.

    So I'm just gonna step up to the plate & ask out loud the question that everybody here is apparently too chicken to ask: does you-know-who have a brother who is single? ;-)

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    1. You are too kind. Thank you. Yes, I am blessed and he loves to cook whichever kitchen it is.

      And you made us both laugh with the last comment. Yes, he has a brother. Yes he's single. And he's straight. Now as for his cooking abilities, I've never put them head to head so I can't speak for that. :-)

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  3. Yum . . . I have never thought about serving it with polenta.
    What a great idea.
    Keep Smiling!
    Connie :)

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    1. One day he said "how about cheesy polenta with it?" and I thought, sure, why not. And we've never looked back, ha .

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  4. Yum, this looks delicious! That’s a good idea to bake and then puree half the vegetables to make the gravy even better. What a beautiful dish! Thanks to 2nd Man for sharing!

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    1. He's been doing that for years. It make an amazing gravy/sauce that is SO flavorful. That you for the kind words!!

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  5. Replies
    1. Thank you for this. 2nd Man said thank you as well!!

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  6. mmmm, this even looks good at 5 am.

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    1. ha, thanks. Yeah food looks good to me most anytime too, you aren't alone!!

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  7. what nice and delicious recipe, love it!

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  8. wow this looks amazing ! im wondering if polenta is the same as grits seems to be. Love this technique , im headed to the grocery store and for sure going to pick up the ingredience thanks so much for sharing Lisa @ Sweet Tea N' Salty Air

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    1. Yes! Grits and polenta are visually identical (not instant of course). Polenta is ground yellow corn, grits are ground white (also called hominy). Grits are finer and polenta courser. In the end polenta can be more fussy to cook and so grits would be just fine. Thanks for stopping by always nice to "see you"!

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  9. I am speechless! Wow! Geo.

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    1. Aww, you're so sweet. It's just dinner, ha. Nice to hear from you Geo!!

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