Highlight #134: Transformation of a pot roast

I am never one of those overachieving home cooks who make their own duck confit for cassoulet. When I am in the kitchen, I want to do minimal work for maximum enjoyment. On a winter night, when I want to cook and enjoy myself, few things can contend with a simple pot roast for its return on investment.

Step 1: pour self a glass of wine, turn on the travel channel, and let the pot warm up on the stove. When the pot is hot, sear a 3lb chuck roast (salted and peppered) on both sides. In the mean time, soak some dried porcini mushrooms in warm water.

Step 2: remove meat from pot, add roughly chunked onions and celery to soften, and turn oven to 300F.

Step 3: add a few crushed cloves of garlic and some spices that would compliment red wine. Add the softened mushrooms, crashed tomatoes from a 28oz can along with about a cup of wine from the opened bottle (fill a bit more for self) and about a cup of mushroom soaking water. Let it boil for about 5 minutes, then put the meat back in the pot, and insert into oven covered.

Step 4: watch some TV, surf some web, take a bath. One and half hours later, give the meat a turn.

Step 5: Write a blog, read other people blogs, and another one and half hours later, take the meat out to rest. Remove some of the fat from the top (this is a lot easier the next day before I want to eat the roast. The fat simply peels off the top when chilled overnight in the fridge). Reduce the liquid to a consistency I like and season. Slice or pull apart the roast when I am lazy, which is always, and serve with pan sauce. More wine of course.