Pot Roast

Winter in Texas isn’t really “Winter” but we do get cold snaps that get me thinking about cozy clothes and comfort food. Pot Roast is one of our go-to meals on a chilly night. Rich flavorful gravy and slow cooked beef are great for warming the soul and shaking off the chill. The great thing about this meal is you can prep it in the afternoon and then head out for a walk with the dog while it cooks. You will be welcomed home to the aroma of herbs and roasted meat. Pop open a nice red wine and all you need is a Christmas movie to make the night complete. Tonight, the wine is from Tablas Creek and the Christmas movie is “The Long Kiss Goodnight”.

Food Network has removed all of Paula Deen’s recipes, so I recreated it here for posterity as it was on the web site. The “House Seasoning” is just 4 parts of kosher salt, 1 part Black Pepper, and 1 part Garlic Powder. We don’t use the extra Salt and Pepper. We use about 1 Tablespoon of the House Seasoning as the rub.

• 3-4 pounds Boneless Chuck roast
• 1 tsp House seasoning
• 1 tsp Salt
• 1/2 tsp Black pepper
• 2 Tbsp Vegetable Oil
• 1 cup thinly sliced onion wedges (I use one medium onion)
• 3 Garlic Cloves (crushed)
• 2 Bay leaves
• 10 3/4 ounce Can cream of mushroom soup
• 1/4 Cup Red wine
• 2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 Tbsp Beef bouillon granules
• 3/4 Cup Water

You will notice in the video that the gravy is a bit thin, if you like it thicker you can reduce it on the stove or add thickener like corn starch. We don’t do that for two reasons: the time it takes to thicken the gravy is time you could be eating dinner and the next day you will have paste rather than gravy. This meal is great as leftovers.