We all have a friend who can literally eat whatever she wants and continue to stay in shape. One of Crystal’s dear friends, Carolyn, is that type of person: a Yankee from New Jersey—and a skinny one at that. Lucky for her, she introduced Crystal to this pot roast, and their friendship took off . Crystal soon found out that Carolyn actually cooks everything with lighter ingredients. Now we’re on to Carolyn’s secret!

　　

Ingredients

makes 10 servings

　　2 teaspoons olive oil

　　1 (4-pound) boneless beef chuck roast, trimmed

　　1 tablespoon kosher salt

　　1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper

　　4 garlic cloves, minced

　　3 cups low-sodium beef broth (page 201)

　　1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste

　　2 teaspoons sugar

　　2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

　　1 1/4 pounds small red potatoes

　　1 pound carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces

　　6 celery ribs, cut into 3-inch pieces

　　2 medium onions, quartered

　　2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

　　2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

　　

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 300°F.

　　

Step 2

Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven set over medium-high heat. Season the roast with salt and pepper. Put the roast in the pan and brown it on all sides, about 4 minutes per side. Add the garlic to the pan, and sauté until lightly browned, about 1 minute. Return the roast to the pan. In a separate bowl, combine the broth, tomato paste, sugar, and Worcestershire sauce and stir until the sugar dissolves. Pour over the roast and bring to a simmer.

　　

Step 3

Cover the Dutch oven, transfer to the oven, and roast for 2 hours. Add the potatoes, carrots, celery, and onions, in that order, to the pot. Cover and roast for 1 more hour, or until the vegetables are tender and the meat has an internal temperature of 140°F (medium rare). Remove the roast from the pan and set it on a cutting board to rest for 20 minutes. Strain the vegetables out of the liquid in the pan. Pour this liquid into a medium saucepan, set over medium-high heat, and reduce by half. Stir in the lemon juice.

　　

Step 4

Slice the roast. Place two slices of meat on each plate. Ladle sauce over the meat and garnish with the parsley.

　　From The Casserole Queens Cookbook by Crystal Cook & Sandy Pollock. Copyright © 2011 by Crystal Cook and Sandy Pollock; Food photographs copyright © 2011 by Ben Fink. Published by Clarkson Potter/Publishers.Crystal Cook and Sandy Pollock, the Casserole Queens, have been delivering casseroles in Austin, Texas, since 2006; they also teach cooking classes at Whole Foods stores in the area. They have been featured on Food Network's Throwdown! with Bobby Flay and Bobby Flay Radio on Sirius XM, as well as on television news and radio talk shows.