We had my husband's family over for dinner tonight, and so I made pot roast, served with smashed potatoes and green beans sauteed with shallots. For dessert, I tried my hand at a flourless chocolate cake. Did I also mention the macaroni and cheese side dish? Overall, it was a successful endeavor.
For the main attraction, the pot roast, I bought several pounds of chuck roast from the local butcher (I love that I have a local butcher to go to). After seasoning each side then searing it in my dutch oven, I added onion, celery and carrots to cook for several minutes. Then deglaze the pot with either some red wine or beef stock. Add the meat back to the pot, place in a 350F oven, and cook for 3½ hours. The result? Meat that is so tender it falls apart using a spoon. I took the meat out to let it rest, then used an immersion blender to make a quick gravy out of the cooking liquid and veggies.
For the green beans, they were blanched, then sauteed with butter and shallots. Season to taste, and I used it around the roast, sort of like a bed for the meat.
