Pot roast: not just home cooked

Cooking is not something that everybody is good at, but this recipe for pot roast is so easy that any college student can make it Since the weather is changing and it is starting to get colder outside, a pot roast and gravy seems like just the meal to help average college students break away from the Lean Cuisines and start making real, substantial meals.

Ingredients needed for a pot roast are: vegetable oil, chuck roast, salt and pepper, water, and assorted root vegetables.  The oven should be preheated to 450 degrees.  Melt two tablespoons vegetable oil in a roasting pan, salt and pepper the meat.  The chuck roast should be about three pounds.  After the oil melts, place it in the pan and brown for 10 minutes.  Turn roast and brown for another 10 minutes .  At this point two cups of water should be added to the pan and the oven temperature should be lowered to 300 degrees.  Cover the pan and cook for three to four hours.  The beef should be as tender as possible.

As the last hour or two approaches, the vegetables should be added.  Add halved peeled carrots and quartered whole onions to the pan.  Potatoes can also be added, whole brussel sprouts, turnips, parsnips, or any root vegetable to broth in pan.

Left over juices in the pan can be poured over the meat to add extra flavor.  Gravy can also be made from the left over juices.  Ingredients needed for gravy are: two cups of the pan juices, two tablespoons flour, a quarter cup of milk brought to a boil on the stove and stirred until thickened.  Salt and pepper can be added as desired by the cook.

The first time a person makes this recipe, it might not taste just like their mom’s, but with a little perfecting it can.