Sunday Beef Roast

As I read through English cookbooks and learned about the culture, the one meal I found popping up everywhere was Sunday Beef Pot Roast with Veggies, Gravy, and Yorkshire Pudding. I found so many recipes that were just like the Cottage Pie recipes, "how my mom made it." So I was able to take elements from each recipe, and make a pretty basic pot roast. Since I was pretty much in and out of the house all day, I was able to babysit it a bit, but made it in a crock pot since I wasn't always home. You could put all of the steps together and make it at once and let it sit in a crock, or you can make it in a dutch oven and let it sit in the oven (which takes a little less time to cook). This roast was perfect as today has been so cold, the high was 37, and I went on a semi-long run today, so I could afford a little more calories.

Sunday Beef Roast

2 lb. beef (I used a lean bottom round)

Salt and pepper

EVOO

2-3 c. beef stock

1/2 tsp. thyme

1 tbsp. Worchestershire sauce

2 large russet potatoes, chunked

1 yellow onion, chunked

3 crushed garlic cloves

1/2 lb. baby carrots

1/2 lb. green beans, trimmed

2 tbsp. butter

2 tbsp. flour

Turn crock pot on high, fill with 2-3 c. of stock.

Heat a dutch oven (if cooking in it) or a heavy bottomed skillet over medium high. Liberally salt and pepper the beef roast. Add EVOO to coat the pot, gently place beef in. Brown first side for 2-3 minutes, or until it's got a crisp brown coating. Turn over, and brown beef on all sides (as you turn it, the pan will lose heat and it will take longer on each side, be patient and make sure you get a good, brown crust). After beef is browned well, drop it in the crock pot. Add thyme, Worchestershire, and more pepper. Stock should go about 1/2 way up the roast, add more if necessary, up to 3 c.
Cover and cook for 2 hours.

Remove lid, flip roast, add potatoes, carrots, onion and garlic all around roast.

Cover and cook for 3 hours.

Remove lid, add trimmed beans.

Cover and cook for another hour. Turn off crock pot.

Melt butter over low in a small pot, sprinkle in flour and whisk. Cook for a minute, then add ladels full of cooking liquid to the mixture (tip the crock put or remove the meat and veggies to get liquid out). Whisk and bring gravy to a simmer. Add more pepper and salt as needed.

Remove meat from the crock, slice and place veggies around it on a platter. Drizzle with gravy and serve with extra gravy on the side.