Pot Roast

I have two friends who make good pot roast.  Bobbi has perfected this classic entrée to such a point that it is the one dish I look forward to eating at her home.  She is a traditionalist; thirty years of Sunday practice makes perfect.  As for me, as much as I love it, pot roast is actually seldom seen on my table.  Today counts for a “bingo!”  Plus, there is an added bonus.  By popular request, I will give some measuring proportions (on occasion at least).  The challenge with this is that I do not ever measure!  Bobbi calls me the “fly-by-the-seat-of-her-pants" cook.   Barb wants to come and write down the measurements as I cook so the integrity dish is preserved. But, hey!  Why copy someone else’s recipes, when I can create my own?

Today’s roast:  One pot roast, 3 cloves of garlic, one large onion, three carrots, three whole beets, one green pepper, three bay leaves, two beef bouillon cubes (sorry, these are the Euro-cubes I get at the international store), one dried onion soup packet, salt, pepper, Worcestershire sauce, a couple shakes (is that precise enough?) balsamic vinegar, and enough water to cover the roast.  Covered in the oven until tender, the last hour uncovered.  I removed all the liquids and vegetables to a separate pan and cooked this in the oven along with the uncovered meat (to brown and crisp the fat) for about forty-five minutes.  Finally, I pureed dill with sour cream and added it to the vegetables, resulting in impromptu borscht.

Note from Brian:  As my son poured the remaining meat juice over his slices of pot roast, he asked why Dorothy was offering a disclaimer with her meal.  I told him that we are all on thin ice in the presence of a dry pot roast.  Historically, few things have such potential for touching off a domestic war.  An ugly rumor has it that George Washington actually crossed the Potomac to escape Martha’s wrath following a few imprudent remarks about her roast.