How to Cook a Pot Roast as Good as Mom's

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By Virginia Allain
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Sunday dinner

My mom's pot roast made a fine meal with the meat fork tender and the vegetables full of flavor. After 40 years of practice, I turn out a roast beef dinner that would make my mother proud. Here's how to make it.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

cooking bags
roasting pan
chuck roast
whole bay leaves
red wine (optional)
potatoes
carrots
onions
frozen whole green beans
mushrooms (optional)

Step 1

Start preparing the meal about three to four hours before you plan to serve it. The meat needs to cook very slowly. Adding the vegetables slows down the cooking too.
Step 2

Choose good meat

Rinse off the chuck roast. Pat it dry with paper towels. Put flour on a plate and turn the roast to coat all sides with the flour.
Step 3

Sear it

Put some oil or shortening in a frying pan. Turn the heat pretty high to get the oil hot. Tilt it so the whole pan is oiled. Put the roast in the pan to sear each side. This seals in the juices for the roasting. Turn it with tongs, not a fork. You don't want to pierce the meat.
Step 4

Put a teaspoon of flour in a cooking bag and shake it to coat the inside. Put the meat inside. Add red wine or water, maybe 1/2 a cup or more. Throw in some bay leaves. Tie the bag shut. Cut slits in the top. Put it in a deep pan in the oven at 325 degrees.
Step 5

Add vegetables

Start peeling the carrots. Cut them into finger lengths. Add these in with the roast.
Step 6

Thaw the green beans

Peel and cut up the potatoes (quarter these) and onions (halve these). Wait about two hours from the start time to add the potatoes and onions.
Set out the green beans to thaw.
Step 7

Clean the mushrooms

Throw in some rosemary and thyme or other fresh herbs. Wash the mushrooms. Leave them whole. Put them in about 30 to 45 minutes before serving time. Put in the thawed green beans then also.
Step 8

The roast is done when all the vegetables are fork-tender and the meat pulls away easily when poked with a fork along the edge.
Step 9

Almost done

Slit the top of the bag open and carefully remove the meat and vegetables. Take the meat drippings and wine left in the bottom of the pan to make gravy.
Step 10

Enjoy the pot roast and vegetables

Set the table for your roast beef feast.