Tyler Florence and Pot Roast - A Nice Combination!

I stopped in at Katie's and Bill's when I came in from grocery shopping tonight and was greeted by the most wonderful aroma.  She made pot roast and though they had eaten, she saved me a plate.    This was not just any pot roast; it was Tyler Florence's pot roast.  Tyler is much admired around here, as much for his handsome good looks as well as his passion for creating meals worth sitting down for.  Katie has one of those huge, enamled dutch ovens.  It weighs a ton before you put anything in it!  It's perfect for cooking a pot roast.  This meat just fell apart on the fork.  The combination of vegetables and seasonings was perfect.  Katie added a little red wine to the braising liquid which really was a nice touch.  She served it over a mound of mashed potatoes, and I used up all my Weight Watchers points on this meal, and it was worth it!

Katie is a good cook, and her brother Jeffrey gave her the Tyler Florence Family Meal cookbook for Christmas.  She put it to great use tonight with his pot roast.  It was absolutely delicious.

Here's the recipe, from the Food Network (linked here):

•1 (3 to 4 pound) piece beef chuck roast, trimmed of excess fat
•Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
•3 tablespoons olive oil
•1 can crushed tomatoes
•1 cup water
•2 yellow onion, halved
•2 garlic cloves, chopped
•1 bunch baby carrots
•2 celery stalks, sliced
•1 cup button mushrooms, stems removed and sliced in half
•2 sprigs fresh rosemary
•4 sprigs fresh thyme
•2 bay leaves

Directions:

Season all sides of the beef with a fair amount of salt and pepper. In a large Dutch oven or other heavy pot that has a tight cover; heat 2 tablespoons of the oil over moderately high heat. Brown the meat on all sides, taking the time to get a nice crust on the outside. Pour in the tomatoes and the water. Scatter the vegetables and herbs around the pot roast, season with salt and pepper; and drizzle with the remaining tablespoon of oil. Cover the pot and reduce the heat to low. Braise for about 3 hours, basting every 30 minutes with the pan juices, until the beef is fork tender.
Slice the pot roast and arrange on platter surrounded by the vegetables. Serve with the pot juices.

Recipe: http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/cda/recipe_print/0,1946,FOOD_9936_34947_RECIPE-PRINT-FULL-PAGE-FORMATTER,00.html

Photo and book at Amazon.com:  http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/images/1605293385/ref=dp_image_0?ie=UTF8&n=283155&s=books