Pot roast pointers

Leave the fat alone: Unless it is excessive, don't trim any external fat from the meat. You will need it to keep the meat moist during cooking, and any fat can easily be skimmed off the sauce before serving. Stove top or oven: You can make a pot roast in the oven or on the stove top; the important thing is for the liquid in the pot to be at a very slow simmer. If your burner isn't low enough, try using a metal heat diffuser. Start high: When braising in a slow oven, it can take a very long time for the pan contents to come to a simmer. I start out my pot roasts at a high temperature, then lower the heat after 15 minutes. This step is more important when the roast is thick than when it is a thin brisket. Finish low and slow: Cook a pot roast at a very, very slow simmer -- you want to see only the occasional bubble rise to the surface. This can be achieved over a very low flame or in an oven no hotter than 300 degrees. I have cooked pot roasts overnight at 250 degrees and results have been glorious. Be flexible: The vagaries of individual ovens and cuts of meat make giving exact cooking times impossible. A thin roast such as a brisket will take less time than a thicker one, even if they both weigh the same. The roast is done when a metal skewer slides in and out easily. Reduce for a luxuriant sauce: Your roast and its vegetables will give off a lot of liquid as they cook and, when the meat is done, the surrounding sauce probably will be a bit watery. Once the roast has cooled, remove it from the sauce, pour the sauce into a saucepan and reduce it until it is suitably thickened. Successful slicing: As with all roast meats, a pot roast needs to rest before it's sliced. Let it cool in its cooking liquid. When it is cool enough to handle easily, transfer the liquid to a saucepan to reduce, place the meat on a cutting board and, with a long, narrow, sharp knife, cut slices against the grain. Place sliced roast in a baking dish and cover with reduced sauce. Eat, or reheat: Once you've covered the sliced roast with the reduced sauce, you can cover the pan and, in a 350-degree oven, heat it through to serve immediately. Or, better yet, make the pot roast, slice it, and cover it with reduced sauce the day before, refrigerate overnight, and reheat in a 350-degree oven. A night's rest will make the meat even more tender and flavorful.