The Best Pot Roast Ever!

A hanging at a local restaurant in Asheville, NC - Aug 2012
 

The Best Pot Roast With Vegetables & Beer

This is the most flavorful moist pot roast ever!  I was never a fan of pot roast until I tried this recipe and now I'm hooked which is ok because it is healthy.  The gravy is what makes it which is why I will never make a pot roast any other way.  I first made this a year ago when my brother and his girlfriend came to visit me in Virginia.  It was a huge hit among everyone!

2 tablespoons oilve oil

1 (3 pound) beef pot roast (Preferably organic, local, grass fed beef - but whatever you can afford is fine.)

1 onion, chopped

5 cloves garlic, minced

1 pound carrots, cut into chunks

2 tablepoons all purpose flour (or use King Arthur's gluten free flour)

2 cups beef stock

1 (12 fluid ounce) can or bottle dark beer (Guinness Draught)

1 bay leaf

3 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme

1 teaspoon brown sugar

2 tablespoons whole-grain Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon tomato paste (optional)

salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350⁰ or turn on Crockpot.  Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven.  Brown the pot roast on all sides in the hot oil; remove from pan and set aside.  Cook the onion and garlic in the hot oil until they begin to soften and turn brown, about 5 minutes.  Add the carrots, mushrooms, and potatoes to the pot;  cook and stir until they begin to color, 2 to 3 minutes.  Mix the flour into the vegetables;  stir continuously for 1 minute.  Pour the beef stock and beer into mixture and bring to boil, stirring continuously.  Add the Bay leaf, thyme, brown sugar, mustard, tomato paste (optional), salt and pepper.  Place the pot roast atop the entire mixture.  Cover pot with lid.

For Oven: Bake in the preheated (350⁰) oven until the meat and vegetables are completely tender, about 2 1/2 hours.  Or cook on a lower temperature for a longer time.

For Crockpot: Cook for about 3 hours on High, or about 8 hours on low.

Note:  I made this in the oven on a lower temperature and let it cook all day; My mom made it in a Crockpot to cook all day and both times they came out wonderfully!  I have made this without the Dijon mustard & mushrooms because I didn't have any and it turned out just as well!  Also, my mom has made a low-carb version by omitting the flour and she also left out tomato paste because she doesn't like using tomato products from aluminum cans.  It was thinner gravy - but it tasted fantastic!