Sunday Supper Beef Pot Roast

You can enjoy this classic Sunday supper with

almost no effort. This moist and tender 

pot roast couldn't be any easier.

I've made this with any size chuck roast.

The first was a small one and the next is a 

larger one that gave us leftovers for 

another dinner. 

It uses very basic pantry ingredients. 

Salt, pepper, onion and one unexpected 

ingredient; apple cider vinegar. 

Salt and pepper all sides of the meat generously.

Put into a foil lined metal roasting pan. Top

with sliced onion. Pour the ¼ C of apple cider

vinegar around the roast. 

Seal all the seams of the foil tightly.

Pour water into the bottom of the roasting 

pan until it's halfway up the sides of the 

meat packet. Replenish the water as 

needed, about 2 more times. 

Roast at 400º for 3-½ hours

 Remove the roast to a serving platter. 

It will be fork-tender.

 Pour the meat juices into a gravy boat.

Serve over the beef as a natural au jus.

with natural au jus

You can also thicken the juices and make a

 traditional brown gravy. 

with brown gravy

Sunday Supper Beef Pot Roast
3-5-pound boneless chuck roast
Salt and pepper
1 red onion, sliced (or vidalia)
1/4 cup cider vinegar

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Line a metal roasting pan or your oven's broiler pan with a sheet of heavy-duty aluminum foil large enough to fully wrap the roast. The shiny side of the foil should be up. Sprinkle the roast on all sides with salt and pepper and place it in the center of the foil. Spread the onion slices over the top of the roast and pour the vinegar around it. Bring the ends of the foil together and fold several times, and then fold the ends together to completely enclose the roast. Pour about 1 inch of water into the pan around the foil-wrapped roast. Bake until the meat is fork tender and brown, 3 to 4 hours. Check the water level in the pan regularly during cooking and replenish it if necessary. 

When the roast is done, remove the package from the baking pan. Open the package carefully to preserve all the juices and transfer the meat to a platter. Cover with the foil to keep it warm while you make the gravy. You can also just serve the roast with the pan juices. To make gravy, pour the roasting juices into a measuring cup and let the fat rise to the surface. Skim off the fat, and put 
2 T fat in a saucepan. If the fat measures less than 2 tablespoons, add enough butter or shortening to make up the difference. Measure the remaining pan juices, if you have less than 2 cups juices, add water to make 2 cups. Add 2 T flour to the fat in the saucepan and stir with a wire whisk to make a roux. Cook over medium-low heat until the flour is golden browned, about 1-2 minutes. Slowly whisk in the reserved pan juices and stir until thickened. It's the basic 2-2-2 ratio 2-fat, 2-flour, 2-liquid. 
Slice the roast or cut it into chunks (it will be very tender), and serve it with the gravy. I usually double the gravy; 4-4-4. 

Enjoy!

Links:  Between Naps On The Porch

Recipe adapted from Georgia Cooking in an Oklahoma Kitchen by Trisha Yearwood.