Mmmmmm, Pot Roast!

I bought this big package of Arm Roast because it was almost as cheap as hamburger.  That's been my goal lately, to have all meat purchased cost about what hamburger does (or less).  Here's what you'll need:

Ingredients:
{Part One}
2t Dried Thyme
2t Salt
1t Pepper
1t Garlic Powder
1t Onion Powder
Olive Oil
Roast (Mine is just under 4 Lbs)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
{Part Two}
2C Beef Broth
15oz Can Diced Tomatoes (or 2 fresh)
One Onion, roughly chopped
10 Mushrooms, diced (I didn't have any)
5 Cloves Garlic, minced
2 Stalks Celery, chopped
1 Bay Leaf
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
{Part Three}
Carrots
Potatoes

Okay, this recipe kinda goes in three stages.

We'll start with part one, naturally.

Mix thyme, salt, pepper, garlic powder and

onion powder together in a small bowl.

Sprinkle over your roast on all sides.  I do this in the sink to save cleanup.

Then I give it a good rub-in.  See my nails?  I had to cut them all

off.  They do this.  They get nice and long and finally look pretty,

then they crack and peel and I have to cut them, boo hoo.  Like

you really care about my nails.  We're talking pot roast here...

Drizzle some oil in a large pan.  Or in my case, glug, glug some oil

while you're trying to take a picture, then end up having to pour some out.

When oil is hot, slap your roast in the pan to sear it.

You may have to add a little more oil when you turn it over 

as the spices give it a tendency to stick a bit.  I make sure to 

sear the sides a bit, too.

Look at those babies sizzle!  Yummo!

When done searing, transfer them to a roasting pan. 

Okay, on to part two.

If you didn't chop your veggies while your roast was searing, 

do that now.  I didn't want to walk away and end up with burned roast!

Chop your onion into large chunks.

Mince your garlic cloves finely.  Not finally, finely.  Har de har.

If you have a can of tomatoes, pour that over the roast.  If not,

you can cut up and de-seed two tomatoes like I did.  No, I

do not normally put my hand on the blade of the knife, but I 

didn't have my little helper today, so I had to hold the knife

in order to take a picture.  The selfless things I do for you readers!

(All three of you)

Before I chop my celery, I like to take a knife and peel back some

of the stringy outer portion.  I don't like string.  Buh-bye!

Chop into larger-than-you'd-normally-like chunks.

Make sure they're very uneven like mine.

Gordon Ramsey would be calling me a stupid cow right now, lol.

 Throw it all in a bowl and give it a stir.  Or maybe you were smart

and just poured all the stuff in the roaster as you were cutting them.

Before you forget, take your waste parts of your veggies

and throw into your freezer bag for future stock-making.

Add your beef broth.  To your veggies, not the stock bag.

Dump it all in the roasting pan, then push it off the meat into

the little crevices.  If it stays on top of the meat, the covered

portion will not brown well.  It's true.  I've tried that.

Then tuck your bay leaf in there.  Or in my case,  10-year-old

crumpled partial parts of leaves that I'm wondering if I'll be

able to find to fish out later.  Don't worry, someone will find it.

Pop the lid on and throw in a preheated 275 oven for 5 or 6 hours.

1 Hour before you plan on eating, cut your potatoes in half and

peel/trim your carrots.  I'm using baby carrots, so I skipped that part.

I like to do like my grandpa did and put some salt on the bottom,

but then it occurred to me that that isn't a dry pan with just a bunch

of fat in the bottom to caramelize them, so this was stupid.  Ignore that.

Add your potatoes to the pan.  I usually put them all around the beef,

tucking them in little crevices. Not today, people.  NOT today!  

Read on as to why, then wonder 

why you ever came here in the first place.

Okay, brace yourself because the next part is really weird because,

well, I'm weird I suppose.  I have always hated carrots cooked in

with my roast.  I usually prepare them separately because everything
ends up tasting like carrots to me.  Because this

recipe said to put them in one hour before the roast was done, I 

thought maybe I'd have a chance at a NON carrot-infused roast.

I built a dam with my potatoes, then added my carrots, hoping

it will keep them far enough away to not contaminate  flavor

my roast with their carroty grossness  goodness.
Get out while you can, people.  Do not look back!

After an hour, I took out the meat and veggies and put them on a platter.

I then took my roaster pan and put it on a burner on the stove.
I turned it to medium high and brought the veggies/drippings to a boil.

I then mixed 2 heaping tablespoons of starch and
about 1/2C cold water together.

Dumped it in...

I was mixing it together and found my bay leaf.  Throw that out.

Bring back up to a boil and voila!  You have gravy, people!!

Slather that on top of a big hunk 'o roast and you have yourself
what we like to call supper in these parts!

 The next day, you can have this for lunch!  A roast beef gravy burger!

Notes:

This was so yummy!  I really like the sauce it made, even though I was a little trepidatious about adding

tomatoes.  I was picturing something like the gross canned vegetable stock taste.  Not at all!  It was rich and not overly salty at all, with a really good flavor.  I am definitely making this again!  My husband ate so much that we only have enough left for a couple days' lunches max!!  

I know some of you may be saying....but it's summer...why heat up the house?  Wellllll, it was only at 275F and I didn't notice any difference in the house, but I have a confession while we're talking brass tacks.  I really do not like a lot of crock pot food.  There, I said it, she said, cringing.  I sometimes feel that it all turns to one big mushy mess.  Don't get me wrong.  I do occasionally use my crockpot and have had some wonderful meals out of it.  But roast is not my fave in there.  I really like a nice, brown crusty texture that you just can't get with a crock.  Please don't send me hate mail.  I really like you.  Going to stick my head in the toilet now....

Hey!  Guess what?!  The carrots did not cross their potato border, invading the precious land of roast beef!  Hallelujah!  I eat the roasted carrots, I do.  I just don't want my roast tasting like them.  'Nuff said.  Moving on...

Maybe you'll try this yourself and let me know what you think.  I love to hear your comments.  Unless they're nasty.  Then, go away.  (juusssst kiddding!)

Because I would need to add 4 more potatoes and 1/2 bag of carrots to make this into 8 servings, that would bring the grand total up to $14.40 for this whole huge meal, which is 1.80 per healthy HUGE plate full!
And here's what you get for that ONE serving...Each person gets almost a HALF POUND of meat (precooked weight), one potato, 12 baby carrots, and a boatload of gravy all for $1.80 a serving! (I mean, really!  That's more like two servings!) That is insanely cheap.  Unless you're my husband who ate three servings worth, then it came to $5.40 for him.  But even so, that's a heckuva lot cheaper than you can get dining out!  And he had a LOT more than they'd serve.  I'm wondering if he'll be alive in the morning.  Going to see if his health insurance policy is up to date...

Recipe courtesy of For the Love of Cooking

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