Pot Roast

Braised Beef and Onion, or Boeuf à la Mode - Astrid Bear
Pot Roast and Guinness - Susan Wenger
Pot Roast - Alice Gomez
Linnea's Pot Roast
Richard's Pot Roast

Braised Beef and Onion, or Boeuf à la Mode - Astrid Bear
I think that the cold weather that is gripping us this winter is turning our collective thoughts to hearty, rib-sticking foods. To open the scope a little, allow me share the recipe for the amazingly good and simple pot roast we enjoyed last night. It's from Epicurious, Braised Beef and Onion, or Boeuf à la Mode. The recipe substitutes allspice for quatre épices, but I found a recipe in Joy of Cooking for that, to wit:
For 1 teaspoon, mix a rounded 1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper, a scant 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, a very scant 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon (or ginger), and a generous pinch of cloves. Since there was so much white pepper in the quatre épices, I only put in about 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper when making the final spice rub mix.
The braised beef recipe doesn't call for browning the meat or adding broth, just rub the spices on, place on a bed of sliced onion and garlic, pile more onions and garlic on top, cover tightly and bake. The house filled with a wonderful, rich, spicy smell, and the finished dish went down easy with some French Merlot blend that had been hiding in the cellar. Since it is referred to as French-Canadian, perhaps Jack could have enjoyed something like it in Halifax.
Braised Beef and Onions
2 (2-lb) well-marbled boneless beef chuck pot roasts (1 1/2 inches thick)
2 teaspoons ground allspice (see substitution suggestion above)
1 1/2 lb onions, halved lengthwise, then thinly sliced lengthwise (6 cups)
6 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Special equipment: heavy-duty foil
Preparation
Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 400F.
Pat meat dry. Stir together allspice, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper in a small bowl and rub all over meat.
Spread half of onions and half of garlic in a 13- by 9-inch roasting pan and arrange meat on top. Spread remaining onions and garlic over meat. Tightly cover pan with foil and roast, turning meat over after 1 hour, until meat is very tender, about 2 1/2 hours total.
Skim fat from pan juices. Slice meat across the grain and sprinkle with parsley. Serve with onions and pan juices.
Cooks' note:
Beef can be braised 2 days ahead. Cool meat in juices, uncovered, then slice and chill in juices, covered. Reheat, covered, in a 350F oven 30 to 40 minutes.

Pot Roast and Guiness - Susan Wenger
Guinness makes for a terrific pot roast! Beef, carrots, onions, potatoes, whatever vegetables you like for a pot roast, whatever seasonings you like - and a can of Guinness. Brown the beef in a bit of oil on all sides, add the Guinness, and simmer. Add the vegetables later, so they don't cook longer than they have to, so they won't get mushy.

Pot Roast - Alice Gomez
3 lbs. bottom round (rump) roast
1 onion soup mix pouch
1 jar (12 ounces) savory beef gravy
2 beef bouillon cubes or 2 teaspoons beef bouillon granules
1 can (14-1/2 ounces dices tomato with basil, garlic, and oregano
2 cups water
3 cups mixed vegetable, such as sliced carrots, cut green beans, diced red potatoes, green peas, sliced celery
In a large skillet, brown beef over medium-high heat 8-10 minutes, turning occasionally.
Combine soup mix, jar of gravy, bouillon, and diced tomatoes in a 5-quart slow cooker. Add water and stir well. Add beef and turn until well coated. Cover and cook on low heat for 8-10 hours, turning occasionally.
Add mixed vegetables during the last 2 hours, stirring occasionally.

Linnea's Pot Roast
The best pot roast yet in a long time with my spartan ingredients. It's an adaptation of Julia Child's braised beef and I always ask for a rump roast but Ron couldn't find it, so he brought home a round (perhaps a bottom round), It turned out very well and very tender. I can't marinate it now in brandy, wine, onions, garlic, etc. so I just brown it very well, slowly, in a heavy Le Creuset casserole on top of stove, then I throw in chopped carrots for that "root vegetable flavor" (there again thanks to Julia), tons of coarsely chopped parsley, about a teaspoon of dried Herbes de Provence from McCormick. Then it goes into the oven for a few hours, after adding 2 cups of hot water. (In former life I would add wine, water, even bouillon if I needed more gravy.)

Richard's Pot Roast
Just unwrap a rump roast, put it in the cooker and liberally sprinkle garlic powder and garlic salt over it along with two soup cans of beef bouillon and let it cook for 8-10 hours at 190-200 degrees.