Everyday Pot Roast

My maw maw used to make pot roast for me and my paw paw all of the time.  She would cook an eye of the round because my paw paw liked lean meat.  It was well flavored but the meat would tend to be very dry.  This is why I like to use a fattier piece of meat.  You can substitute any cut of roast you like and still use this recipe (chuck, round, rump, etc.)  When she prepared her roast, she would make it with a "virgin gravy" (au jus) which simply means that she would not add flour or cornstarch to thicken the gravy.  My paw paw loved it.  She would serve this oily jus to him in a soup bow and he would dunk a butter laden slice of white bread into it and whoof it down.  I prefer a velvety brown gravy with pot roast so I choose to thicken it slightly.  This also sets the stage for left over Roast Beef Po Boys the following day.  This is truly a universally American Everyday Family Dish.  I've eaten roasts in other parts of the country and have to say that stuffing the roast with garlic is truly a New Orleans brain child.  Anyway, I hope you enjoy this taste of Americana Cuisine.  I strongly recommend serving french bread with this dish, and pair it with a salad of creole tomatoes and mayonnaise (the only salad my paw paw would touch!)

EVERYDAY POT ROAST

PREPARATION

3 TBSP VEGETABLE OIL

2LB SIRLOIN TIP ROAST

1/4 CUP SALT

1/4 CUP PEPPER

1/8 CUP LEA AND PERRIN'S WORCESTERSHIRE SAUCE

10 EA PEELED GARLIC TOES

1/8 CUP OLIVE OIL

1 CUP GUIDRY'S FRESH CUT CREOLE SEASONING (TRINITY)

1/4 CUP ALL PURPOSE FLOUR

8 OZ PEELED BABY CARROTS

1 LB SMALL RED POTATOES - HALVED

2 CUPS BEEF BROTH

1/2 TSP DRIED THYME

2 EA BAY LEAVES

1/2 TSP GRANULATED GARLIC

1/2 TSP GRANULATED ONION

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS

• PRE HEAT OVEN TO 325 DEGREES
• MIX SALT, PEPPER, WORCESTERSHIRE SAUCE, AND OLIVE OIL IN SMALL MIXING BOWL TO MAKE PASTE
• MAKE 10 SMALL SLITS ABOUT 1 INCH DEEP INTO LENGTH OF ROAST
• SPREAD HALF OF THE SEASONING MIX OVER THE SURFACE OF THE ROAST WITH YOUR HANDS.  MAKE SURE YOU SEASON ALL SIDES
• USING THE BACK END OF A TEASPOON, SCOOP OUT THE REMAINING SEASONING MIX AND INSERT EVENLY INTO THE SLITS
• INSERT 1 GARLIC TOE IN EACH SLIT
• LET REST UNTIL READY TO SEAR
• SPRAY LARGE DUTCH OVEN WITH COOKING SPRAY
• IN LARGE DUTCH OVEN, HEAT VEGETABLE OIL ON MEDIUM HEAT FOR ABOUT 1-2 MINUTES UNTIL HOT
• PLACE ROAST IN DUTCH OVEN BROWNING ALL SIDES ABOUT 2-3 MINUTES A SIDE
• REMOVE ROAST AND SET ASIDE ON PLATE
• ADD TRINITY AND COOK FOR 3 MINUTES UNTIL ONIONS ARE TRANSLUCENT SCRAPING THE RESIDUE FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE POT WHILE THE VEGETABLE SWEAT
• ADD FLOUR TO THE POT AND BLEND IN WELL COOKING FOR AN ADDITIONAL 1-2 MINUTES
• ADD BEEF BROTH AND STIR WELL MAKING SURE TO BREAK DOWN ALL FLOUR.  THIS SHOULD MAKE A NICE SMOOTH GRAVY.
• ADD THE REMAINING DRY INGREDIENTS  AND STIR WELL
• BRING GRAVY TO LOW BOIL ON MEDIUM HEAT
• ADD ROAST SLITS SIDE UP TO DUTCH OVEN
• ADD POTATOES AND CARROTS TO DUTCH OVEN
• COVER DUTCH OVEN AND PLACE IN PRE HEATED OVEN ON MIDDLE RACK
• COOK IN OVEN FOR 2 HOURS 30 MINUTES BASTING THE ROAST AND STIRRING THE GRAVY EVERY 30 MINUTES
• REMOVE FROM OVEN
• ADJUST GRAVY WITH ADDITIONAL SALT AND PEPPER IF NEEDED.
• REMOVE ROAST FROM GRAVY ONTO PLATE  AND ALLOW TO REST FOR 10 MINUTES
• SLICE ROAST INTO 1/2 INCH THICK SLICES ON CUTTING BOARD AND PLACE BACK INTO GRAVY OR SERVE AS IS.
• PLATE WITH VEGGIES AND ADDITIONAL GRAVY

NOTE:  YOU CAN COOK THIS ON THE STOVE TOP.  MAKE SURE YOU COOK OVER LOW HEAT AND STIR MORE FREQUENTLY TO PREVENT STICKING AND SCORCHING.  COOK FOR THE SAME COOK TIME OF 2 HOURS AND 30 MINUTES.

PREP TIME - 3 HOURS

SERVES - 6-8