Recipe: Pot Roast with Onions and Diet Coke (450F oven)

Pot Roast with Onions and Diet Coke (450F oven)
rec.food.recipes/Margo Messer/2002
Serves 6-8 or more

Everyone loves this pot roast- quick for a roast and very easy. The meat comes out so tender and the flavors are magnificent together. The recipe which follows for Beef Pot Pie was adapted by use for me with leftovers from this roast. Hope you all enjoy as much as we did! Margo

4 lb chuck roast
1 large (4") and 1 medium (3") onion, sliced and cut into quarters
1 1/2 tsp minced garlic
1 lb baby carrots (whole)
4-5 potatoes, peeled and slice in half
2/3 can (12 oz) diet coke - about 8 oz coke
3-4 cup low-salt beef bouillon (from crystals)
1-2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
cast iron pot

Preheat oven to 450F.

I had about a 4 pound chuck roast, which I salted on both sides Placed onions in bottom, sprinkled minced garlic on top, laid carrots on top of that and potatoes on top of that. Then put roast on top of all. (I did use a cast iron pot - and except for the fact it is so heavy to move around, it worked great.)

Baked, uncovered, for 20 minutes, turned over roast and baked 20 more minutes. Added about 8 oz of diet coke, low sodium beef bouillon and red wine vinegar and covered the pot.

I checked it every 20 minutes for another hour, and then every 10 minutes for 30 minutes. It was great - the best we've ever had (and I prided myself on my roasts) and the leftovers - yum, yum, yum.

Adapted from recipe by Russ Parsons, the LA Times food editor and I believe came from Wally Skaliz, Plate from Sur la table stores. anyway - you use very HIGH heat to cook this and it cooks very quickly for a pot roast - and yields the most tender, tastiest beef roast we have had in a while (like forever!). and let me tell you about the leftovers - they are terrific!