Cooking Question - Pot Roast Meat?

[Kneel B4 Zod]

Katy,
I often go to epicurious.com for cooking hints. They have recipes of all kinds - advanced, simple, classic, etc - and typically lots of honest reviews. Here is a classic pot roast recipe I found, which answers many of your questions.

1/4 cup flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
5 pound rump of beef
2 or 3 tablespoons fat or oil
2 onions, sliced, or 10-12 small white onions, peeled
1 or 2 carrots, scraped and cubed
Herbs and other seasonings as desired
1 cup liquid (wine, bouillon, tomatoes, vegetable broth, etc.)
Other vegetables as desired

Season the flour with the salt and pepper and pound the mixture into the meat with the edge of a plate. Brown meat on all sides in the hot fat or oil. Add the onions, cover and cook over low heat 10 minutes. Add the carrots, herbs, seasonings and liquid. Cover tightly and simmer 3 1/2 - 5 hours, until meat is fork tender. Add desired vegetables during the last 20 or 30 minutes.

Pot Roast Variations

1. For part of the liquid, use a 10-ounce can (1 1/3 cups) of puréed tomatoes. For seasoning, add 1 tablespoon minced parsley or dill. When the meat has been removed from the pan, add 1 cup sour cream to the sauce.

2. For the liquid, use 3/4 cup dry white wine, 2 tablespoons brandy or rum, and 1 tablespoon chili sauce. For seasoning, add 4-6 coriander seeds and 12 peppercorns.

3. For the liquid, use 1/2 cup syrup from canned fruit, 2 tablespoons vinegar, 1/2 cup water, 1 beef bouillon cube. For seasoning, add a pinch of powdered fennel and a teaspoon of minced dill.

4. For the liquid, use half dry vermouth, half chicken bouillon.

Makes 6-8 Servings, with some meat left over.

WRT to the your pot/pan - I am a huge believer in Le Creuset. they make cast iron cookware that will literally last your lifetime. it is expensive, but if you are serious about cooking - particularly rich dishes like pot roast - you will love it.

get somebody to give it to you as a gift [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img] or wait till they go on sale at amazon