Classic Pot Roast - and Rocky Mountain Organic Meats Giveaway

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. 
  

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).

Follow Delightful Repast on Twitter and Delightful Repast on Pinterest. 

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.