Pot Roast with Garlic Pockets

This stove-top Pot Roast is simple, hearty and simmers for hours, making your kitchen smell delightfully rustic, with all those garlic cloves stuffed into the top of the roast and cooked in a classic Dutch Oven.

btw…I don’t know when Pots & Pans started to be called “Cookware, Skillets and Saucepans”, but the evolution of cooking terminology can get alittle complicated.

Out in the  Wild West of Texas, early settlers, chuck wagon cooks, and cowboys cooked over an open fire and used a heavy black cast iron pot and tightly fit lid, known as a version of a Dutch Oven. Dutch Ovens have been used in cooking hundreds and years, and sometimes also called casserole dishes (casserole means “pot” in French).  Are we confused yet?

Of course, about a hundred years ago, the French developed a hugely successful enamelled cast iron version, sometimes also called a “French Oven” and today, every beginner to advanced cook needs a least one of these classic pieces of “cookware” on their shelves. I’m still alittle confused on the correct descriptions, but my Dutch Oven (okay, it was made in France) is one of my favorite ways to cook, boil, roast and simmer.

Ingredients

• 1 (3 to 3 1/2-pound) boneless beef chuck roast
• 10 cloves garlic, peeled and cut in 1/2 lengthwise, or more
• 2  teaspoons salt, or less
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons cooking oil (I use canola)
• apprx 1 cup water, or more

Directions

1. Make about 20 small slits about 1 1/2-inches deep all over the pot roast, using a small sharp paring knive.  Insert each garlic piece into the meat. Season with salt and pepper on all sides.

2. Heat the Dutch oven over high heat. Add the oil and, when hot, use a meat fork to add the roast. Sear on all sides until very well browned, about 4 to 6 minutes per side. The roast will get very brown — adding to the overall flavor of the meat.

3. When the roast is evenly browned on all sides, add water and stir to loosen the browned bits on the bottom of the pan.

4. Reduce heat to medium low or low, cover, and cook about 3 hours, until very tender. Turn three or four times during the cooking time. Make sure that you always have 1-inch or so of liquid on the bottom of the pan. If necessary, add more water.

5. When the roast is very tender, transfer to a serving platter and slice or pull meat apart into serving pieces. Reduce the pan juices slightly, if desired, and serve drizzled over the top of the roast.

tips: serve with a salad, rice/mashed potatoes/or even polenta, and some good bread.