14 November 2013

Classic Pot Roast - and Rocky Mountain Organic Meats Giveaway

Classic Pot Roast / www.delightfulrepast.com

Why am I blogging about pot roast when everyone else is talking turkey? Because my dad would not eat turkey more than once a year and other poultry, never; it had to be beef or pork for him every day. So I'm here with an alternative, you might say.
 
Besides, it's autumn, when we crave the comfort of hearty dishes like this comfort food classic. When you make this satisfying one-pot meal for people, they are transported back to their childhoods when mothers and grandmothers cooked things many people now feel they haven't the time to cook themselves.
 
Although this recipe takes time, most of it is unattended. There are no tricky techniques, but you'll find that careful browning brings out the fullest flavor of these subtly seasoned simple ingredients.
 
Though I feel an organic, mostly plant-based diet is more healthful and earth-friendly, I occasionally indulge in a little carefully sourced organic meat. Yes, it is more expensive than conventional supermarket meat, but here are some ways I've found to better afford it:
  1. By cutting our meat consumption in half. Most Americans eat more meat than is good for them, so I figure eating the good stuff in smaller portions or less frequently is better for us anyway!
  2. I don't buy many "empty calorie" snacks and convenience foods, so more of the grocery budget can go toward whole ingredients.
  3. I try very hard not to waste food and have gradually gotten to where I actually waste very little now. After all, the higher prices for organic and grass-fed and all that has been a powerful motivator! 
All Rocky Mountain Organic Meats are 100% grass-fed, grass-finished and certified organic. No hormones, antibiotics, grain, GMO feed or irradiation. RMOM is dedicated to environmentally friendly agriculture practices and, most important to me, the ethical treatment of animals. There are no feedlots where deadly antibiotic-resistant bacteria thrive. The animals roam free and are treated humanely.
Details of the organic grass-fed beef chuck roast giveaway follow the recipe. 
  

Classic Pot Roast / www.delightfulrepast.com


Pot Roast

(Serves 6 to 8) 


1 3- to 4-pound boneless chuck roast
1 teaspoon salt, divided
3/4 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon sugar
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 medium onions, quartered and separated
1 1/4 cups lower-sodium chicken broth
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon marjoram
1 pound baby carrots (or 6 carrots, quartered)
6 medium unpeeled potatoes, quartered (or 8 small, halved)
(I used 16 tiny Yukon golds that averaged 2 ounces each)
4 stalks celery, cut in 2-inch diagonal pieces
Optional: Turnips, rutabagas, parsnips in place of some of the potatoes
(I used a 12-ounce rutabaga*, cut into 8 equal pieces)

* Rutabagas are called swedes in England and neeps, I'm told, in Scotland.
1 Heat 5.5-quart (or larger) Dutch oven; heat oil. Pat beef dry and coat beef with 3/4 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper and 1/2 teaspoon sugar. Brown well on all sides in hot oil, taking about 15 to 25 minutes; transfer to plate. Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Add the onions to the pan and cook until browned, about 15 minutes. Add broth, Worcestershire sauce, bay leaf, and marjoram; bring to a boil. Put the meat back in the pan. 
2 Cover pan with foil and lid, and simmer in preheated oven for 2 hours.
  
3 Stir in 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper, and add vegetables. Cover and return to oven for 2 hours. Discard bay leaf. Remove meat and vegetables to serving platter; cover. Thicken the sauce with a little slurry of water and flour or by just reducing it (boiling it down) to your preferred thickness.  

Photo courtesy of Rocky Mountain Organic Meats

Rocky Mountain Organic Meats Giveaway 


One winner will receive a 3- to 4-pound organic grass-fed beef chuck roast from Rocky Mountain Organic Meats. All continental US residents who leave a comment (one entry per person) on this post before 11:59 pm Eastern time Wednesday November 20 will be put into a random drawing. Winner will be announced here in the comments before noon Eastern time on Thursday November 21. 
Note: Please include your email address in the body of your comment.
If I don't hear back from the winner of the random drawing by noon Eastern time Sunday November 23, another drawing will be held and a new winner selected from the original entrants (those who commented before the giveaway deadline).

Disclosure: The product for this post and giveaway was provided by Rocky Mountain Organic Meats. Content of my reviews is never dictated by whether I bought a product or it was provided. I only work with brands I love and can recommend. All opinions shared are my own. 

63 comments:

Annie*s Granny said...

This is a perfect recipe to use as our temperatures begin to plummet. I'm definitely ready for some comfort foods! anniebloom1 at gmail dotcom

Richard Sheppard said...

Mmmmmm looks delicious! Funny, my wife asked me last weekend if we could cook a roast sometime soon. I'm thinking yes! Richard (@) Artstudios (.) com

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Yep, Annie's Granny, it's the comfort food that makes autumn and winter my favorite time of year!

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Your wife has good taste, Richard! Hey, she picked you, didn't she?

Quinn said...

What a fantastic giveaway! Timing couldn't be better. Fingers crossed!
q.piper at yahoo dot com

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Quinn, RMOM roasts, steaks, ground beef, everything is soooo good!

Anonymous said...

Your "post" roast and Rocky Mountain Organic Meats both sound delicious! catoluck at icloud dot com

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Thanks, Catoluck!

Jo said...

I love pot roast! I love the smell as it cooks, I love knowing that I have made enough for 2 meals.:)
joymama@pacbell.net
Thank you, Jean!

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Thanks, Joanne. We actually got three meals out of this!

Sippity Sup said...

"Though I feel an organic, mostly plant-based diet is more healthful and earth-friendly, I occasionally indulge in a little carefully sourced organic meat".

I know I know. But I have to believe our traditions are worth something. It's a hard row to hoe. GREG

bconsbruck said...

Your recipe looks really good and I'd love to be able to try this meat. I'm a devout carnivore. bconsbruck@hotmail.com

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Greg, I so agree. There are things I would be better off not eating that I will continue to eat, simply because of the family tradition. And tea? Try telling me I'm allergic to tea, hah! There's no way I could give it up, it's my heritage!

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Thanks, bconsbruck! That was some good beef!

Kuro said...

I'm actually not a huge meat fan, but I bet my dad would love this :)
aukat55@gmail.com

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Then you can have fun cooking it for your dad (or maybe he'll cook it himself?).

Rebecca said...

My family would love this :)

BeccaMFerguson@aim.com

Unknown said...

I LOVE pot roast and I think it's a great alternative to turkey. Honestly, I like turkey, but only once (like your dad) and I'm not fond of eating it for a week after!! lol
By the way, I can guarantee the Rock Mountain organic meats are amazing!! I still dream about those burgers :) And now that it's getting cooler here, i can't wait to try those lamb shanks!!
jennsfoodjoureny (at) gmail dot com

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Rebecca, I'm sure they would!

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Jenn, that's one of the things I love about fall and winter--can run the oven all the time!

Amy at love made my home said...

I have NEVER (she shouts!) seen pot roast so beautifully arranged, it looks stunning (and tastes it I'm sure!). You are right btw rutabaga = swede in England and neeps in Scotland. xx

TONY said...

Jean, I like the way you have designed and presented your food.

Cheryl said...

As soon as the image loaded up, the first thing I thought was, it was a shame that scratch and sniff doesnt translate well to the computer world!!

drags59@yahoo.com

TexWisGirl said...

looks delicious!

thanks for stopping by and leaving a comment. blessings to you!

Susan J Meyerott, M.S. said...

Great minds think alike, Jean! I just made pot roast with onions, garlic, ginger, turnips, parsnips, rutabagas, yams, potatoes, mushrooms and swiss chard. It IS the perfect moving into winter comfort food!

You're looks yummy. I never thought to add sugar and Worcestershire sauce. I'm going to give it a try.

I love your points about how you afford the more expensive grass-fed, organic beef. It's a change in mindset that creates a new focus.

Peggi said...

Looks yummy. Love roast and veggies. fiveburnersataol.com

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Amy, Tony, Cheryl, TexWis and Sue, thank you for your comments! Cheryl might be onto something with the computer-scratch-and-sniff. Wish I had that for Sue's post roast!

Thomas "Sully" Sullivan said...

Yoo hoo, organic-fed, free-range moo-mammals everywhere, no need to thank me, but I chucked the chuck roast when I ran away from home to join the circus at an early age. My old man like it nuked…shoe leather. Go figure. Anyway, adding potatoes and carrots was not an incentive for me. I’m going out now to buy a bottle of ketchup and I’m going to quaff it in one gulp. Footnote to Jeani: well, our patriarchs enjoyed the same basic food source, but that’s where the epicurean similarity ended. I like to think I’m undoing the sins of the fathers…

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Thanks, Peggi!

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Sully, what can I say? Shoe leather! How about moist and delicious, fork-tender? Your introduction to food must have been the exact opposite of mine!

Anonymous said...

The recipe looks like a great thing to cook for my family.
-TC
counting_shipwrecks at yahoo dot com

Candace said...

the earliest comfort food i can remember being introduced to is pot roast! mom always served it with corn on the cob :) [canmdean@gmail.com]

Susie said...

I love pot roast in the fall and winter...so easy to cook and delicious. I like turkey too.:):) xoxo,Susie

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Thanks, Susie and Candace. Yes, it would be good with a side of corn on the cob!

Andrea said...

Great recipe and giveaway :)

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Andrea, thanks!

Seriously Curious Mom said...

This looks SO good. I love meat!
scottishlizzie@gmail.com

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Thanks, scottishlizzie!

Susan J Meyerott, M.S. said...

If anyone can come up with a scratch and sniff computer meal you can, Jean. I can almost always smell and taste your photographed wonders! Sue

Angie's Recipes said...

A hearty and comforting meal, Jean. Perfect for our icy cold weather.

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Sue and Angie, thank you so much!

SolDucky said...

Yum! This looks like the perfect fall weather meal.

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Thanks, SolDucky!

Karen Lange said...

This looks wonderful! I do like to make more comfort foods as the weather gets colder. Thanks so much for sharing this and for offering the giveaway.
Have a great week,
Karen
karenelangeATgmailDOTcom

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Karen, thank you! I do love introducing people to this great beef!

Unknown said...

This looks like a perfect one-pot meal!

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Sarah, thanks! I do love a good one-pot meal.

Ruth Schiffmann said...

My daughters and I love a good pot roast, although my husband thinks it's a waste of a good piece of meat. He'd rather have a plain ole roast beef. Maybe I just need to mix things up with a new recipe. Will be making this one soon, for sure. Thanks, Jean.

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Slice this when it's cold, Ruth, and thicken the sauce to gravy consistency; and he won't even notice it's pot roast rather than a regular roast!

Cranberry Morning said...

I love the addition of rutabaga in a roast or stew. And because of you, I now use Worcestershire sauce in both. :-) It looks simply delicious.

Julie said...

Looks scrumptious
thanks for the giveaway
aunteegem@yahoo.com

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Thanks, Judy! I'll have to tell Lea and Perrins I've made another Worcestershire sauce convert!

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Thanks, Julie! You'd love that beef!

Nadya said...

i would love to win organic roast beef. nadya5k@gmail.com

Annette said...

I love grass fed beef and feel so much better about what I'm eating when I cook with it. Your dish looks so yummy.

waytoomanycats (@) gmail (.) com

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Annette, thanks. I know what you mean!

Unknown said...

Can't wait to try this recipe, especially with snow on it's way!
Lukowicz@msn.com

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Christine, do let me know how it turns out for you!

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

*Giveaway Winner Announced* - The winner, by random drawing, of the organic grassfed chuck roast is Cheryl. Cheryl, as soon as you send me, delightfulrepast at aol dot com, your name, address and phone number (required by shipper), RMOM will ship the roast to you. Congratulations!

If I don't hear from the winner of the random drawing by 11:59 am Eastern time Sunday, November 24, another drawing will be held and a new winner selected from among the original entrants (those who commented before the giveaway deadline).

Watch for my next giveaway! In the meantime, follow me on Google and Twitter and Pinterest (@delightfulrepas). You can even use the Follow Me By Email button in the right column.

Amy at love made my home said...

Congratulations to Cheryl, I meant to say on my original comment not to include me, so I'm glad it wasn't me! xx

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Amy, that worked out well then. Hope you're feeling better soon and back to blogging!

Christine said...

Just two days ago I told my husband that I need to learn how to make pot roast the real way. This is exactly what I was looking for. Thank you!

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Christine, I'm so glad! Do let me know how it turns out for you.