Best Larrys Red Pot Roast Recipes

THE BEST POT ROAST

Steps:

• Sprinkle the roast with 3 tablespoons of the salt, rubbing into the grain and covering all sides. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 3 hours and up to 3 days.
• Arrange a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 275 degrees F.
• Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large heavy pot or Dutch oven over high heat. Cook the meat, turning occasionally, until browned on all sides, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer to a plate.
• Reduce the heat to medium-high and heat the remaining 4 tablespoons oil in the pot. Cook the onions and the remaining 1 tablespoon salt, stirring occasionally, until browned but not completely cooked through, 6 to 8 minutes (it's ok if the onion wedges break apart). Add the garlic and tomato paste and cook, stirring occasionally, until the paste is brick red and the garlic is fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the wine and bay leaves and cook, stirring occasionally and scraping the bottom of the pot, until slightly reduced and you can no longer smell the alcohol, about 4 minutes. Add the flour, stir to coat the onions and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the broth and pepper and bring to a boil.
• Nestle the meat and any accumulated juices into the onions. Arrange the carrots, celery and potatoes around the roast, pushing them into the onions and surrounding the beef. Cover and transfer to the oven. Cook until the meat is very tender but still holds its shape and is not falling apart, 3 to 3 1/2 hours. Let rest, covered, at least 45 minutes before serving.
• Transfer the roast to a cutting board and remove the twine with scissors, if necessary. Slice against the grain.
• Divide the vegetables among plates and arrange the sliced beef over top. Spoon sauce over the top garnish with parsley and chives.

POT ROAST FOR A CROWD

Steps:

• Pat meat dry with paper towels, then season on all sides with salt and pepper. Heat a Dutch oven over high heat for 2 minutes. Then add enough oil to barely coat bottom of pot and heat until shimmering. Sear the meat until golden brown, turning to cook all sides evenly, about 8 minutes. Don't be tempted to turn the meat too soon or it will tear; instead wait until it easily releases from the pot. Once it is nicely browned all over, remove it from the pot. If there are lots of blackened bits on the bottom of the pot, wipe it clean with a paper towel, or deglaze with a little water then discard.
• Reduce heat to medium. Add the olive oil and all of the aromatics, and cook, stirring fairly often, until the onion is translucent, 2 to 3 minutes. You may need to increase the heat after a minute or two if the onion isn't softening, but only slightly. If the garlic or onion begins to burn, add a little water and stir up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
• Sprinkle the flour into the pot, and stir to coat everything evenly; cook the flour just long enough to remove the starchy taste without taking on any color, about 30 seconds. Add vinegar and water, and bring to a boil. Deglaze pot, scraping up browned bits from the bottom. Put the roast in the pot; the water should come only about 1 inch up the sides of the meat. Reduce the heat so the liquid is simmering, not boiling, and cover the pot tightly with the lid. While the meat is braising, turn it every 30 minutes; the meat should be almost tender (a sharp knife inserted in the center should meet little resistance) after 2 1/2 to 3 hours. Remove the meat from the pot. Strain braising liquid through a fine sieve, pressing on the solids to extract as much liquid as possible (discard solids).
• Return the roast and the strained liquid to the pot. Nestle the garnish vegetables around the roast, submerging them a bit in the liquid (the liquid should almost reach top of vegetables). Bring the liquid to a boil, then simmer until the vegetables are tender, 15 to 20 minutes. The meat should be very tender by now and give no resistance when pierced with a knife (The meat will be firm enough to slice; if you want it be falling-apart tender, cook 30 minutes more).
• Transfer the meat and vegetables to a serving platter, leaving the sauce behind (there should be about 1 cup). Cover and keep warm near the stove. If the sauce is too thin, heat until reduced (but be mindful of the saltiness, since the more sauce is reduced the saltier it will taste) or thicken it with a bit more flour, whisking until smooth. Add a small amount of vinegar if necessary to balance the flavors. Let roast stand for about 20 minutes, then slice to desired thickness. Spoon some sauce over pot roast and vegetables to moisten and serve with remaining sauce on the side.

PERFECT POT ROAST

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 275 degrees F.
• Generously salt and pepper the chuck roast.
• Heat the olive oil in large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the halved onions to the pot, browning them on both sides. Remove the onions to a plate.
• Throw the carrots into the same very hot pot and toss them around a bit until slightly browned, about a minute or so. Reserve the carrots with the onions.
• If needed, add a bit more olive oil to the very hot pot. Place the meat in the pot and sear it for about a minute on all sides until it is nice and brown all over. Remove the roast to a plate.
• With the burner still on high, use either red wine or beef broth (about 1 cup) to deglaze the pot, scraping the bottom with a whisk. Place the roast back into the pot and add enough beef stock to cover the meat halfway.
• Add in the onions and the carrots, along with the fresh herbs.
• Put the lid on, then roast for 3 hours for a 3-pound roast. For a 4 to 5-pound roast, plan on 4 hours. The roast is ready when it's fall-apart tender.