A pot roast is simply a large piece of meat cooked at relatively low temperatures for a relatively long time ("relative" to regular roasting) with moisture.  Pot roasts are the most simple of meats to make.  Simply sear all sides in hot oil (a step that can be foregone in a time crunch with the main impact being moisture in the roast--this can be solved by creating a gravy or sauce from the drippings to add moisture back in to the beef), place in a dish with a tight-fitting lid, add accompanying seasonings and/or vegetables and liquid, cover, and bake or simmer until the meat is fork tender.

Pot roasts are made of those cuts that contain connective tissue (primarily from the chuck and rump and bottom round).  Brisket is also a pot roast, but with longer duration (see link devoted to briskets).  Dry roasting leaves these tissues objectionably chewy.  Pot roasting softens and melts them, allowing their flavor to penetrate the meat, infusing it with full rich beefy flavor.

Any of our other roasts can also be made into pot roasts, although the inexpensive chuck and round (rump) roasts are the best value for a pot roast and benefit most from the technique.

One note: because our meat is so lean and has been dry-aged, you might find your regular pot roast recipe results in a drier meat than you are accustomed to.  I always serve my pot roasts with a sauce or gravy, made from the liquid the roast cooked in.  Unlike typical pot roasts which contain lots of fat, drippings and cooking liquid from our grass fed roasts are relatively low in fat, allowing you to indulge in what is probably the ultimate comfort food guiltlessly!  To make a simple gravy:

• Mix 2 Tbsp cornstarch with 1/4c cold water.
• Heat the roast liquid to boiling in a saucepan (add water if needed to make 2 cups).
• Stir in the cornstarch mix.
• Reduce heat and allow to come to a gentle simmer while stirring occasionally.
• If the liquid does not thicken satisfactorily in a few minutes, add another round of cornstarch.

Grilled Rump Roast (added 6/04)
Beef Pot Roast with Sour Cream Gravy (added 12/03)
Braised Roast (added 12/03)
Garlic Roast (added 12/03)
Herbed Roast (added 12/03)
Tangy Beer-Braised Roast (added 10/02)
Basic Pot Roast with Variations (added 10/02)

In a glass baking dish deep enough to accommodate the roast, combine all ingredients from vinegar to bay leaves in the list above.  Rinse and pat meat dry with paper towels.  Add to dish and turn to coat.  Cover tightly and refrigerate 2 to 3 days turning meat occasionally.  Drain meat.  Mix olive oil, vinegar, honey and pepper as a basting liquid.  Put on spit and put drip pan under meat.  Place end of meat thermometer probe in the center of the meat, but be careful to not touch the metal rod of the spit.  Roast, turning slowly, over low coals.  Using a brush, baste every ten minutes with olive oil mixture.  Roast until thermometer is 150°F for medium rare.  Remove from grill and let rest covered lightly with foil for 15 minutes before carving.  Salt meat at table.
 
 
 

Beef Pot Roast with Sour Cream Gravy
You can use fat-free sour cream for guiltless indulgence. 
2 Tb flour 
1 ts onion powder
1 ts garlic powder
1/4 ts pepper 
3 pounds beef pot roast 
1 Tb olive oil
1/4 cup red wine or cooking sherry
1 ts dill weed 
6 potatoes, peeled and quartered 
6 carrots, quartered 
1/2 ts salt 
1 pound zucchini squash, quartered 

Sour Cream Gravy: 
1 cup beef broth from roast 
1 cup sour cream (can use fat-free)
1 Tb flour 
1 ts dill weed 

Mix flour, pepper, garlic and onion powder and rub meat with the flour mixture. Brown well in hot olive oil in a large heavy skillet or Dutch oven.  Add wine. Sprinkle 1/2 tsp dill weed over the meat; turn meat and sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 tsp of dill weed. Cover and simmer 2 hours on stove-top (or in a 275°F oven). Add potatoes and carrots. Cover and simmer or bake 1 hour. Add zucchini. Cover and simmer 20 minutes. Remove meat and vegetable to a platter and keep warm while making the gravy.  Remove broth from Dutch and measure 1 cup meat broth.  Place 1 cup sour cream, 1 tbsp of flour and 1 tsp of dill weed in the skillet or Dutch oven; gradually stir in the meat broth. Heat just to boiling, stirring constantly.  Note this recipe uses no salt; salt meat and vegetables to taste at table.
 
 

Braised roast
4-5 lb chuck roast, or any other large cut of grass-fed beef, fresh or thawed
olive oil or butter
2 bulbs of fresh garlic
2 bay leaves
2 large onions
vinegar or lemon juice
Sprinkle liberally with salt and coarse pepper.  Sear in hot olive oil or butter in a fry pan or dutch oven (the latter is better because you can use it in the oven as well).  Add 1 c water and the bay leaves, about 3 TB vinegar or lemon juice. 
Slice onions coarsely, brown in a bit of oil and place on top of the meat.  Coarsely chop all 2 bulbs of garlic and place on top of the onions.  Bake 325°F for about 2 hours.
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Garlic Roast
The large amount of garlic (2 whole bulbs) become mellow with marinating and cooking.  You have to plan ahead on this one; the roast marinates for 3 days in the refrigerator. You can replace the brandy with beer or leave out altogether in a pinch (different flavor, but still good).
4 lb roast
2 large bulbs garlic, each clove with skin removed, 1 bulb with each clove split in half (do up one bulb first)
1/4 c olive oil
4 onions, cut into wedges
4 bay leaves
1 Tb peppercorns
2 ts thyme
1 ts marjoram
1 ts sage
1 Tb salt
5 cups dry red wine
1 cup brandy
1/4 cup vinegar
Marinate roast three days prior to serving. Pierce meat all over with knife point and insert a split garlic clove in each hole. Pour oil over roast and rub to cover. Place in large roaster. Sprinkle rest of dry ingredients over. Pour wine, brandy and vinegar into bottom of roaster. Cover and refrigerate. Turn twice a day until serving day. 
Place cloves from second bulb on top of roast.  Bake in 300 degree F oven for 4 hours, basting often. Test for desired degree of doneness. Cool 10 minutes prior to carving. Garnish with parsley and orange wedges. 
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Herbed Roast 
4 lb pot roast; floured & seasoned with salt & pepper to taste
3 Tb ooking oil
1 onion, sliced
1/2 green pepper, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
16 oz can tomatoes
1/2 c port (wine)
1/2 ts fresh chopped parsley
1/2 ts thyme
2 whole cloves
10 peppercorns
1 bay leaf
Brown floured roast in oil in dutch oven over medium-high heat. When brown,remove meat from pan, set aside. 
Fry onions, peppers and garlic for 5 minutes, stirring often. Add tomatos,port, herbs and spices. When mixture comes to a boil, add the roast and baste with sauce. Cover and place in a pre-heated oven at 325 degrees and cook for about 2 hours or until tender. Baste several times with pan juices during roasting. Slice thin and serve with pan juices. Serves 4-6. 
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Tangy Beer-Braised Pot Roast
3-4lb roast
4 slices bacon
2 med onions coarsely chopped
2 Tb brown sugar
8 oz mushrooms
1 c flour
1 ts salt
1 ts allspice
½ ts pepper
¼ c red wine vinegar (can subst. Cider vinegar)
1 (10 oz) can beef broth, undiluted (I usually use chicken or beef stock I have on hand, rather than canned)
1 c beer
Fry the bacon in a large, non-stick skillet. Remove to paper towel.  Drain off all but about a teaspoon of the grease from the pan. Add onions to the pan; sprinkle with brown sugar. Cook until onions are lightly browned; remove from the pan and set aside. Add mushrooms to the pan (with a little butter or oil, if necessary). Cook until softened; remove from the pan and set aside.  In a large plastic zip-lock bag, combine flour with salt, allspice, and pepper; add roast and shake until all sides are well-covered with flour mixture. Brown quickly on all sides. Place the roast in a Dutch oven or roaster, or crockpot. Place diced bacon, onions and mushrooms over the roast. Add vinegar, beef broth and beer to the skillet; bring to a boil. Boil for about 3 minutes; pour over roast and vegetables.   Roast in oven at 325° for about hours, or until thermometer reaches 140 internal temp.  Crock pot on low 6-8 hours.
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Basic Pot Roast with Variations
This is an old recipe that I’ve adapted and added to from other recipes and from the EPICURIOUS list numerous variations for you to try.  You can never ruin a pot roast if you follow the basic format of seasonings, liquid and slow cooking, and that flexibility may encourage you recipe followers to try experimenting. 

1/4 cup flour
basic seasonings:
    1 teaspoon salt
    1/4 teaspoon pepper
4 pound roast
2 tablespoons oil
cooking vegetables for flavoring (e.g., onions, celery, carrots, garlic)
herbs and other seasonings as desired
¾ -1 1/2 cup liquid (wine, tomatoes, vegetable broth, etc.)
Other vegetables to serve on the side (e.g., potatoes, carrots, sweet potatoes, turnips; add about 2hrs before roast is
     finished)

Season the flour with the basic seasonings and pound the mixture into the meat with the edge of a plate or a meat pounder. Brown meat on all sides in the oil. Add the onions, garlic or celery, cover and cook over low heat 10 minutes. Add the herbs, seasonings and liquid. Cover tightly and bake 325° oven for 5 hours, or up to 8-12 hrs in a crock pot on low setting.   Add other vegetables (starchy ones like carrots or potatoes) about 2hrs before roast is done.

Variations

1.  liquid: 1c black coffee, ¼ c soy sauce; herbs: oregano and a bay leaf
2.  liquid: 1 c red wine; provincial herbs
3.  liquid:  1/2c Japanese sake, 1/4c dark soy sauce, 1/4c water; herbs: 12 blk peppercorns, 2 bay leaves, 4-6 Vietnamese dried anise seeds
4.  liquid:  ¾ c merlot, ¾ c tomato sauce;  herbs: thyme, 2 bay leaves
5.  basic seasonings: cinnamon, paprika, thyme (a little), pepper, ground cloves, salt; liquid:  Cabernet sauvignon and Worcestershire; herbs: can include 5-6 cloves garlic
7.  liquid: red wine and beef stock,Worcestershire; herbs: thyme, rosemary, oregano, garlic 
8.  liquid: tomato sauce, cabernet; herbs: garlic, basal, thyme, oregano
9.  basic seasonings: salt, pepper, allspice, Cajun seasoning; liquid: ½ c Jack Daniels, one can veg. broth, 1Tb Worcestershire and 1Tb soy sauce; herbs: bay leaf, ground thyme; cooking vegetables: include an apple
10.  liquid: 1 1/3c pureed tomatoes; herbs: minced dill; add 1c sour cream to drippings to make gravy
11.  liquid: ½ c canned fruit syrup, 2Tb vinegar, 1/4c water, 1 bullion cube; herbs: pinch of powdered fennel and 1ts minced dill
12.  basic seasonings: dash of cloves, ½ t cinnamon, 1t paprika; liquid: 1 ½ c cabernet added to sautéed onions and 2 cloves garlic; add 1 chopped carrot 2Tb Worcestershire sauce, 1 (14oz) can pureed tomatoes; herbs: 1ts thyme, 3 bay leaves 
13.  liquid: ¾ c dry white wine, 2Tb brandy, 1Tb chili sauce; herbs: 6 coriander seeds, 12 peppercorns
14.  liquid: 1 c white wine, 1 (14 oz) can diced tomatoes; herbs: bay leaves, paprika, 2 bullion cubes, parsley; vegetables: potatoes, celery, carrots
15.  basic seasonings: 3 pieces freshly crushed allspice, 1 ts coarse black pepper, 1/2 ts thyme, and 1 ts celery salt; liquid: 3/4 cup white wine, 2 Tb brandy, 2 ts chili paste, 1 can vegetable broth; herbs: 2 Tb Folgers instant coffee, 1/4 ts cinnamon, 1 bay leaf, 2 cloves crushed garlic 
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