341589 Fri Nov 10 15:46:16 -0800 2006 17 31 Home Cooking 0 2011253 I've never made a pot roast but I'd like to try it. What is your favorite recipe, and would it be good in a le crueset? Fri Nov 10 15:46:16 -0800 2006 22056 ddelicious 1 2011416 Here's simple. Get a chuck roast. Rub salt and pepper in and brown it in some olive oil in your NEW Le Creuset. TeeHee. Take it out and set it aside. Get a big onion the size of a soft ball and peel it and SLICE it. Soften the onion rings in some olive oil in your you know. Put the roast back in and add a can of beer. Dark beer is better. Add some garlic or bay leaves or other seasoning if you want. Cover it and cook it in a slow oven until it's tender. That would be about 300 or 325. You can go as low as 250 for several hours. Don't let the liquid all dry out. When it's done, you can take it out, probably in pieces, and use all the liquid for gravy. Take the onion rings out to get them out of the way. Melt 3 T butter in a skillet. Add equal amount of flour and cook slowly to make a Roux. Add some of the liquid from your roast and mix with the roux. Then add it all back into the LeCreuset. Quickly bring it to a boil then turn it down. You only need to do this until the flour gets cooked. Probably only a few minutes. If it doesn't taste like raw flour, it's done. This is good and simple. I'm sure other people will come up with much better ways than this. But I know you're anxious to use that NEW Le Creuset. I don't blame you. I cook this in a 5 qt oval, so you'll be fine with yours. Fri Nov 10 16:37:34 -0800 2006 2011253 10743 yayadave 1 2011422 Pot roast has been discussed on this board several times. I suggest you try a simple search for "pot roast" Here's one discussion: http://www.chowhound.com/topics/show/278641?query=pot+roast&user_name= good luck! And let us know how it turned out! BTW, Le Crueset is the best for braising meat, and should do wonders for your pot roast. Fri Nov 10 16:39:03 -0800 2006 2011253 33755 NYchowcook 1 2011434 My method is very similar to yayadave's; it's important to use a chuck roast, season it and sear it, as he says. Then, I cook it covered, low & slow in the oven, with red wine, beef broth and tomato paste along with onion, garlic, carrots and include thyme and bay leaf. I might try dave's beer method next time! Fri Nov 10 16:43:58 -0800 2006 2011253 11983 Val 2 2011453 Shoot, Mon, I like the sound of yours! Fri Nov 10 16:49:03 -0800 2006 2011434 10743 yayadave 2 2011470 Yes, that's the traditional method. Or you could add a can of tomatoes, use just 1/2 cup wine, and skip tomato paste. It's a very forgiving dish -- so long as you cook slow. One thing I learned (by mistake) is that it's not a good idea to cover the meat completely in liquid -- bring the meat and braising liquid to a good simmer on the stover and then pop in the oven. And make sure you don't run out of liquid. Molly Stevens suggests covering the meat with parchment paper a little below the lid -- reduces evaporation and keeps everything braising along. Fri Nov 10 16:55:02 -0800 2006 2011434 33755 NYchowcook 3 2011502 You do make an important point. The two things you don't want to do are cover it with liquid and cook it dry. Beyond that, there's no such thing as a bad pot roast; some are just better. Fri Nov 10 17:02:55 -0800 2006 2011470 10743 yayadave 2 2011482 Similar to mine. I cook in a 200-225 degree oven for many hours. It is a great make-ahead dish, as it re-absorbs the juices when chilled and re-warmed. Fri Nov 10 16:57:20 -0800 2006 2011434 10309 Funwithfood 1 2011490 I'm having a hard time locating flat chuck roasts in the Boston area. I usually end up with something that is a round chuck roast and they just don't turn out like I remember as a kid...nice and fork tender. Mine end up dry and gross. Last time I made one it was a 3 lbs round (in shape) chuck roast at 350 for 1.5 hours. It had good flavor, but was dry. What am I doing wrong? Fri Nov 10 16:58:55 -0800 2006 2011253 11263 tallullah 2 2011522 i would lower the temp and braise, braise, braise for at least 3 hours! make sure you're not boiling after about 15-20 minutes!!!! if you are lower even more. make sure that there is not much room between meat and cover of pot...use parchment paper if needs be... Fri Nov 10 17:09:34 -0800 2006 2011490 23603 ceeceee 3 2011569 I've done the lower heat with liquid and those came out dry too...I'll go lower and cover. I've never covered... Fri Nov 10 17:21:17 -0800 2006 2011522 11263 tallullah 4 2011581 oh yeah, you must must cover! that's the whole science behind braising....the liquid evaporates...and the condensation drips off lid back onto meat, keeps it juicy and tender. if there is too much room between meat and lid...use of piece of parchment paper....kind of push it into the pot so it almost touches meat...leave about an inch outside pot on all sides....cover with lid. Fri Nov 10 17:24:22 -0800 2006 2011569 23603 ceeceee 1 2011656 ddelicious--please let us know what you finally did, and what color is your new creuset?! I have the most tender results when I fill the pot pretty well, not a lot of empty space, (like ceeceee says above) and I keep it between 300 and 325 degrees for 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 hours (3-5 pound roast). (Check to make sure moisture exists!) There are 8 zillion recipes out there-- I like the flavor combos of prunes/apricots/onions, OR mushrooms/onions for beef roasts. Fri Nov 10 17:41:56 -0800 2006 2011253 42470 blue room 2 2011913 its "citron" aka yellow. got in on sale, so no color selection but i'm not fussy. looking forward to trying some pot roast variation. still confused about one thing though, do you have to start in on the stovetop? or could you just put everything together in the dish at say 325 and leave it for a few hrs? Fri Nov 10 18:57:32 -0800 2006 2011656 22056 ddelicious 3 2012233 on sale on the internet perchance? i yearn year yearn for one but am pretty broke these days. on the other hand, if i found a really good deal... Fri Nov 10 20:40:02 -0800 2006 2011913 38077 JenMarie66 3 2012381 i have the citron too...hee hee...and a lime-ish color. yes, brown all sides first on the stove top...then remove, cook up your aromatics in the pot, deglaze a little, then put meat and all liquid back in, put in oven...300 for 3 hours at least. should be wonderful. Fri Nov 10 21:26:52 -0800 2006 2011913 23603 ceeceee 4 2012643 Yellow is obviously the preferred color of pros. Guess what color I have. Fri Nov 10 23:04:38 -0800 2006 2012381 10743 yayadave 1 2011750 Before searing and braising, I use a knife to make slits all over the roast and then alternately stuff them with garlic and jalapeno or serrano peppers. I then spoon a small amount of seasoning into each slit. Even if you don't eat the peppers when you're eating the finished product (they're easy to see and remove), they give a wonderful flavor to the roast. I keep peppers in the freezer, then slice them lengthwise and put 1/2 (or a quarter if they're really fat) into the slits. Freezing them not only keeps them longer, it makes them into handy little peppersicles that are easy to insert! Fri Nov 10 18:05:16 -0800 2006 2011253 50494 pattisue 1 2012247 This is my favorite recipe. I recommend cooking it the night prior so it's easier take a lot of the congealed fat off the top before warming it to serve. Really, this is amazing (from epicurious "Red Wine Pot Roast with Porcinis): http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/recipe_views/views/233926 Despite the title, it's actually quite good even without the porcini. We have made it once with whole crused tomatoes and once with canned diced tomatoes and both times it was great. Fri Nov 10 20:44:20 -0800 2006 2011253 25792 rockridgechow