Pot Roast with Mashed Potatos and Green Beans

I recently started reading The Pioneer Woman Cooks food blog and I got excited when I read that she had been picked up by The Food Network for her own Saturday morning show. I haven't been able to catch any episodes yet, but her printed recipes are fantastic. Normally Brit and I steer clear of red meat, but every once in a while will spoil ourselves and this was one of those times. The Pioneer Woman blogged about how to make the "perfect pot roast" and after reading about how fun/easy it was, I couldn't resist giving it a try.

When I mentioned to my friend Melissa that I'd be making pot roast, she begged me to invite her over for dinner. I turned the situation into my advantage and invited her over on the condition that she'd come to a comedy show with Brit and I afterwards. She even brought over a guy she had recently started seeing and I took this as an opportunity to vet him.

Well, the pot roast turned out incredible, was really fun to make, and the meal was very nicely paired with a side of garlic mashed potatoes and steamed green beans. The delicious food was paired with great company and a humorous comedy show.

Pot Roast
(Adapted, but mostly strictly followed, from The Pioneer Woman Cooks food blog)

Serves a lot!

4-5 lb. chuck roast (our halal meat market provided us with 2 smaller 3 lb. cuts)
Olive oil
3 onions, cut in half
6-8 carrots, cut into 1-2 inch pieces
10 garlic cloves, peeled (my addition)
10 shallots, peeled (my addition)
1 cup red wine
3 cups vegetable stock
4-5 sprigs thyme
4 sprigs rosemary

Preheat your oven to 275 F.
Generously salt and pepper your cuts of meat. Have fun with this. Make a mess. I did!
Heat a 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat in a large dutch over. When hot, add in the halved onions and brown on each side for just a few minutes. Remove the onions and brown the carrots for just a few minutes. Remove the carrots and brown the shallots and garlic for a very short period of time and remove.
Sear the meat on all sides until just browned and not any longer. Be sure to sear the sides too, not just the top and bottom. This was my favorite part holding the large cuts of meat in my tongs and feeling very much like a chef. Once seared, remove the meat and deglaze the bottom of the pot using the red wine and a whisk.
Once deglazed, add back in the meat, pour in the stock, and position all of the browned vegetables and extra herbs around the meat. Place the lid on the dutch oven, stick it in the over, and cook for 4 hours. Brit checked on the meat halfway through and turned it so that there would be even cooking all around.