Delectable Pot Roast

Confession: I never used to like pot roast.  I'm pretty sure I spent the first 20 years of my life, if not more, disliking pot roast.

I am not at liberty in such a public place to explain why I didn't like it.  It's a personal thing.

Anyway, it wasn't until I started experimenting with it...and until I started using a crock pot...that I decided that it was possible to l-o-v-e me some pot roast.

So here's what I've come up with over time!

Start with one large onion...

And peel and slice it up real purty like.

Then take these beautiful carrots...

Peel em and cut 'em up.

Arrange them attractively in the crock pot.  Because it's all about appearance.  Okay, not really, but it makes a nice picture.

Take two garlic cloves...

Smash 'em.  Peel 'em.  Mince 'em.

 

Oh, and don't forget: When you take a picture of the garlic, make sure it's not in focus.

Sprinkle the garlic over the attractive onions and carrots.

And then here's something I didn't use in the past but, since working with the beouf bourguignon recipe and knowing how delicious that is, I've been using it in my stews and roasts since then.

I just love tomato paste.  I love that rich, terrific flavor it lends.  And it's pretty.  So I added two tablespoons of it.

Finally, it was the time I had been waiting for.  It was time to sear the roast.

My favorite time.

Iiiiiisn't she looooovely...


Sorry.  I sing to my food.  I believe the food is then inspired to taste better.


I dried the roast off with paper towels and sprinkled it liberally with salt and pepper while heating olive oil in a large pot.

And then that happened.  On all sides.  And it was good.

Once the roast was seared with a lovely crust on all sides, I placed it on top of the veggies, etc in the crock pot.  Then I used beef stock in the pot to pick up all of the brown bits which the roast thoughtlessly left behind while searing.

Silly roast.

I poured that stock over the roast and its friends.

And then...I got a little naughty.

Maybe...a lot naughty.

See...I had this bacon sitting in my fridge...

And I didn't want it to go to waste or anything.  Because wasting food is wrong.  Especially if "food" is delicious bacon.

So I layered the delicious bacon over the roast.  It was wrong...and yet it felt oh so right.

A sprinkle of fresh parsley and a palmful of dried thyme and voila...t'was ready for cooking!

After 8 hours on low, I was left with this...

The smell? Divine.

The meat? Fork-tender.

It was ridiculous.  Ridiculous, I say.

Serve it up with those carrots and onions, and perhaps some buttered eggs noodles, and the gravy that you make out of the juices and flour (if that's your thing)...and you've got a meal on your hands.

Enjoy!


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What's in Your Crockpot - Smockity Frocks