Spicy Wine Pot Roast
This has been a favorite family recipe since my kids were little. And they still make it today for their families. It was originally a Crock Pot recipe, and most of the time we still make it that way. But what if you don’t have a Crock Pot? Well, I’m happy to report that the one made for the photo was done in a pot in the oven!
Why not? It doesn’t take a lot of research to find out that a Crock Pot cooks (at the low setting) at 200 degrees, which enables you to assemble the food in the morning and let it cook all day. There will be a delicious meal waiting for you at the end of the day without the food being overdone. Plus, the house will smell great!
I browned the meat in the skillet and assembled the food in the covered oven-proof pot. I put it in the oven at 200 degrees and left it all day just like with the Crock Pot. So if you have a Crock Pot, use it. But if you don’t, you can use the oven. (If your oven temperature control isn’t digital or is hard to read, you probably should get an oven thermometer for a few bucks so you’ll know what setting to use.)
INGREDIENTS
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 to 4 pound beef pot roast
garlic salt and pepper
1 onion, chopped
1 small bottle of button mushrooms
1 cup beef broth
1/4 cup catsup
1/4 cup dry red wine
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
4-5 dashes Tabasco
salt and pepper
INSTRUCTIONS
Heat the oil in a skillet, season the roast with garlic salt and pepper, and brown the roast on both sides, about three or four minutes per side, depending on how hot the pan is.
Put the meat in the pot or Crock Pot, assemble the remaining ingredients, and pour over the meat. Cover the pot and let cook for 6-10 hours. The meat will be plenty done in the shorter time, but the longer time is so you will know that if you can’t get home until later, the roast will still be fine.
When ready to serve, remove the roast to a cutting board and let sit while you thicken the sauce, if you wish. Put the pot on the stove to simmer the juices. Use a fork or a whisk to stir two or three tablespoons of flour in a small glass with a few ounces of water. Stir it like you mean business; if you pour any lumps into the sauce, they will stay there! Slowly add the flour and water mixture to the juice in the pot, and stir to combine and thicken. Cook for at least four or five minutes to remove the raw taste from the flour.
Taste, and season with salt and pepper if you wish. This is also the time to adjust other seasonings, like Worcestershire or Tabasco.
Serve with rolls, boiled potatoes, and a vegetable like the bistro carrots shown in the photo. The sauce makes great gravy for both the meat and the potatoes. Now you’ll know why this is a family favorite!