Powerhouse Pot Roast

The reason this is a powerhouse is because it "freezes beautifully" and tastes just as tender from freezer to oven. I've started buying chuck roast when it's on sale, make a Sunday supper of the pot roast, and freeze half of it for company. The other added bonus is I can make the gravy gluten free by pureeing whatever root veggies I use. OR as in the pic above, I can add vegetables later in the braise and add a slurry to thicken the gravy.

4 lb chuck roast

1 T olive oil

1 onion

6 garlic cloves

3 carrots

3 potatoes or sweet potatoes or turnips or radishes . . . .

1 quart beef stock

1 T tomato paste (or 1/2 cup tomatoes - canned or fresh)

3 rosemary sprigs

5 thyme sprigs

1 T garlic salt

1 tsp. black pepper

~ Preheat oven to 300 degrees

~ Use garlic salt and pepper to season chuck roast and let sit for at least 30 minutes at room temperature. (Prep all the vegetables while it's brining.)

~ Heat olive oil on medium high heat in Dutch oven.

~ Peel and chop onions, garlic, carrots, potatoes, and whatever root vegetables you are using. Quarter the onion, cut root vegetables into 2 inch chunks.

~ Brown onion and root vegetables in olive oil, turning often.

~ Remove root vegetables and sear all sides of chuck roast.

~ Remove chuck roast and set aside.

~ Add a bit of broth to pot and scrape off all the fond.

~ Add rosemary, thyme, garlic, tomato paste, and all other vegetables - root vegetables NOW IF MAKING GLUTEN FREE.*

~ Place chuck roast on top of all the vegetables and add the rest of the broth mixing to incorporate tomato paste. It won't cover the meat.

~ Turn heat to high. Once broth is boiling, cover and put into oven.

~ LOWER TEMPERATURE TO 275 degrees and for four hours. (an hour per pound)

~ If serving root vegetables with pot roast, do not add in the beginning. Add to pot with one hour left to cook.

*A word about gravy options:

For gluten free, you're going to remove ALL the vegetables and half the juices from the pot roast. Blend and add back to the pot.

If you're not afraid of gluten, make a slurry of 2 T of flour or cornstarch and 1/4 cup of the juices from the pot roast (preferably with fat drippings from the top). Add the slurry back into the pot. Come to think of it, cornstarch is gluten free, so you can have your veggies and make the gravy thick.

Here's the best thing about this pot roast: You can put pieces of the fall apart roast and the gravy into a freezer safe container to cover and freeze. When ready to eat, bake COVERED in a 325 degree oven for 45 minutes.