Yankee Pot Roast Dinner for Two Jarvis House Style

 Spring on Long Island maybe cold and dreary.  Inviting a friend over for a Pot roast dinner is just the trick to bring up the spirits.  

 I read in a flyer that my local grocery store,Waldbaums, was having a sale on beef.  That's what started me on the path to pot roast .  I chose a lovely eye round.  At that price it was a bargain these days!  

 I poured about two tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil into the cooking pot.

Then over a high flame, I have a gas range, sear all the sides of the roast to keep the juices in.

 Chop a medium onion.

 

 Keep turning the meet as the sides brown, even balancing with your cooking fork when doing the short ends.

 The whole roast should be a lovely brown,

then remove it to a plate while you brown the chopped onions.

 Replace the roast to the pot when the onions are glistening and brown, making sure not to burn the onions,

 Add four (4) cups of water,

A teaspoon of salt or more if you like it salty,

 A teaspoon of dry mustard,

ground pepper to taste, and a few Bay Leaves.

I added a bit of sage too.

The roast looks good and smells fantastic!

Cover the pot and lower the flame for a slow long cook, about three hours.

 One hour before the roast has finished cooking, add coarsely chopped fresh carrots, celery, and peeled potatoes.

 I love the Yukon Gold potatoes.

Everything in the pot and cook for the last hour.  If you put the vegetables in too soon they get mushy.

 Add red wine too to enhance the flavor.

The meat is tender so carve carefully.

 Spoon out the vegetables, being careful to remove all Bay leaves.  Bay leaves are very sharp good for flavoring the meat but should not be eaten.

 Use the remaining liquid to  make gravy, by mixing two tablespoons unbleached flour in cold water.  You can use a sieve over the mixture to remove any lumps.

A  dinner for two in front of the wood burning stove.  White dishes and serving pieces make the food look just beautiful!    So good.  Try it soon.  It is back to basics, but you can do yard or household chores while the meat cooks.