Mary's Famous Beef Pot Roast

3-5 lb. chuck roast

1 large onion

3 stalks of celery

1 small bell pepper

3-4 garlic cloves

1-2 teaspoons of salt or whichever seasonings you like

1 teaspoon of dried parsley or a small handful of fresh

2 bay leaves

Handful of fresh parsley

2-3 tablespoons of Worcheshire sauce

3 tablespoons of tomato sauce or paste (ketchup will do in a pinch)

3/4 cup red wine (optional but it gives the gravy so much flavor)

2 cups of beef stock

2-3 peeled and chopped carrots

2-3 tablespoons of olive oil or any oil of your choice

Whether you do on the stovetop, in a crock pot or an Instapot, don't skip this step. In the Instapot, start it on the Saute setting.

Season the roast well on both sides. Cut slits in the meat and put the garlic cloves in them. 

Heat the oil on medium high but before it smokes, put the roast in carefully. Don't move it. Sear it for about 4-5 minutes. Don't be afraid to let it get some color. Turn it over carefully and repeat on the other side. 

If cooking on the stovetop or in an Instapot, just continue from here, turning the stove down to medium/low or in the Instapot, switching to pressure cook. If doing in a crockpot, move the roast to the crockpot and then continue. It means cleaning an extra pot but it will be well worth it.

Once browned on both sides, remove the roast to a plate.

Add all the rest of the vegetables and let them cook for a minutes. Add the wine and let it loosen up all those good bits at the bottom. Carefully place the roast back into the pot, making room for it in the middle of the pot.

Add the tomato product, herbs and Worcheshire. Add enough of the stock to just cover the roast. Don't drown it. You may need more or less than the 2 cups called for. If you add too much, it will boil rather than roast. If you add to little, it may start to stick and burn.

Let the roast cook until tender. Cooking time on the stovetop is probably about 2 1/2 hours but cook until it is fork tender. In the crockpot, use the longer time setting. In the Instapot, cook for about an hour then check to see how tender it is.

If you like a thicker gravy, once the roast is cooked, remove and add a teaspoon of corn starch to a cup of cold water, stir and add to the gravy and vegetables and bring to a boil to thicken. Check for seasoning, add the roast back in and get to eating!

Serves 6-8