Submitted by Karen Schihl, who got it from The Milk-free Kitchen by Beth Kidder, c 1988, 1991.
- 2 cloves garlic (I use 4-6)
- 3 1/2 pounds boneless beef; flank steak is best, but beef chuck or round will do nicely (I buy 2 pieces of flank steak at Costco; 1 for tonight’s dinner, 1 to put in the freezer for a future crazy day).
- 1 or 2 Tablespoons vegetable oil(I use olive)
- 1 cup water or red wine (I like Ravens Wood Zinfandel)
Peel the garlic cloves and cut each lengthwise into 3 or 4 slices. With a small sharp knife, cut deep slits in the meat and insert a slice of garlic into each slit. Use about half of the garlic slices, then turn it over and insert the rest of the garlic slices in the other side. (I get impatient and put them all in on one side.)
Preheat a heavy pot and brown the meat in it in a little oil. Add the wine or water, cover the pot, and turn the heat down to a gentle simmer. Cook the meat about 2 hours, or until very well done. (I’ve pulled it off shy of 2 hours and it was fine).
The secret to a really good pot roast is to let the meat boil nearly dry at a late stage in the cooking process; after this add just enough water to produce about a cup of pan juices. Pot roast that has been overcooked, or allowed to cook without any water for more than a minute or two, will be dry, even though there is enough fat. Meat cooked this way is very flavorful and does not really need seasoning, even pepper.
Always cut roast across the grain of the meat, not with the grain. Flank steak can be cut against the grain and at a slant for larger pieces. Freezes well. Try to freeze whole. Upon thawing, slice cold meat and gently warm up on stove top in juices.
Serve with mashed potatoes and steamed veggies. Pass a pitcher of the pan liquid when you serve the meat.
Serves 6.
Rehfwitz Recipes 