Pot Roast With Potatoes
Ingredients
- 1 garlic clove, peeled
- 1 boneless beef chuck or rump roast
- 2 bay leaves
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 large onions, chopped
- 2 large or 3 medium carrots, sliced
- 2 celery stalks, sliced
- 1/2 cup red wine or water
- 2 cups beef, chicken, or vegetable stock or water, or more as needed
- 1 pound small waxy red or white potatoes, scrubbed and halved
Directions
- Cut the garlic clove into slivers; use a paring knife to poke small holes in the meat and insert the garlic into them.
- Crumble the bay leaves finely and mix them with salt and pepper.
- Rub this mixture all over the meat.
- Put the oil in a pot over medium-high heat.
- When hot, add the roast and cook, adjusting the heat and turning as needed so the meat doesn't burn, until it's nicely browned on all sides, 20 minutes.
- Transfer the meat to a plate.
- Add the onions, carrots, and celery to the pot, turn the heat up to medium-high, and cook, stirring frequently, until softened and somewhat browned, 5 to 10 minutes.
- Add the wine and cook, stirring and scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan; continue cooking until the wine has evaporated, 5 to 10 minutes.
- Add 1 1/2 cups of the stock, return the roast and its juices to the pot, and bring to a boil.
- Lower the heat so the liquid barely bubbles and cover the pot.
- Cook, turning the roast every 30 minutes, until the meat is tender enough to pierce easily.
- This will take anywhere from 1 1/2 to 3 hours, depending on the thickness of your roast and how low the heat is.
- Be careful not to overcook the meat or it will become tough and rubbery.
- If at any point the pot looks dry, add more stock or water, 1/4 cup at a time.
- Heat the oven to 200 F.
- Transfer the meat to an ovenproof platter, loosely cover with foil, and put in the oven to keep it warm.
- Spoon any excess fat from the surface of the remaining liquid and add the potatoes; they should be half submerged in liquid; if not, add more stock or water until they are.
- Turn the heat up to medium-high, cover, and cook, stirring occasionally and scraping the bottom of the pot, until the potatoes are tender when pierced, 10 to 20 minutes.
- Taste and adjust the seasoning.
- Slice the meat across the grain and serve it with the potatoes and sauce.