SUNDAY POT ROAST WITH POTATOES, ONIONS & CARROTS

My mom always had a rosemary bush in her backyard. She would ask me to cut a few sprigs for her when she made a Sunday roast beef or pot roast dinner. Rosemary and beef go so well together. She would thicken the broth into a delicious gravy by adding softened butter mixed with flour. She didn’t know the fancy French word for it was “burre manié”, which translates to kneaded butter in English. This is definitely a traditional Southern Sunday pot roast dinner.

1 T avocado oil or peanut oil

One (2 ½ to 3 lb) boneless chuck roast

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

½ yellow onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

½ cup water

1 ½ cups beef broth

1 (1-oz) envelope onion soup and dip mix

1 sprig fresh rosemary

1 bay leaf

4 large carrots, peeled and cut into large chunks

4 large potatoes, peeled and cut into large chunks 

½ bag frozen pearl onions or 2 small onions, coarsely chopped

3 T unsalted butter, softened

3 T all-purpose flour

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.

Pat roast dry on both sides and season with salt and pepper.

In a large Dutch oven, heat oil over medium-high heat.

Brown meat well on both sides.

Remove meat when browned and set aside on a platter.

Reduce heat to low, add diced onion and cook for 5 minutes. 

Add garlic and cook another minute.

Add water to deglaze the pan and stir up the browned bits with a wooden spoon.

Add the beef broth, onion soup, and rosemary.

Stir to combine and return the meat to the pan.

Bring to a boil then cover with a lid and transfer to the oven and cook for 2 hours.

Remove from oven and add the carrots, potatoes, and onions.

Return to oven and cook another 1 ½ hours.

Remove pot from oven and place on top of the stove, remove roast from pan and place on a platter and keep warm in a 200 degree F oven.

Remove potatoes, carrots, and onions from the pan to a bowl and keep warm along with the roast.
Discard sprigs of herbs and bay leaves.

In a small bowl, add the softened butter and mix in the flour with a fork.

Add to pan and over medium heat, bring the liquid to a boil.

Boil for about 3 to 5  minutes, to thicken.

Remove platter and bowl of vegetables from oven and break apart some of the roast.

Surround roast with vegetables and drizzle meat with a little of the gravy.
Pour the rest of the gravy into a warm gravy boat to take to the table.

Serves 4 to 6