How to cook martha stewart's ancestral pot roast

Tie up meat so that any thin or jutting parts of the cut is tucked in. Aim to get a rectangular block after tying and it'll be easier to get it to stand on all sides for searing.

Sprinkle salt and pepper generously on all sides.

Heat pot with strong heat and add oil enough to cover bottom surface. Get it shimmering hot.

Place meat in pot and start searing and sealing in juices...

till it's browned, like so.

Turn all sides only when it releases easily from pot. If you turn too soon - it will tear.

When browned all over (about 8 minutes or so)…

remove from pot; remove strings; but don't get tempted to eat that succulent looking roast yet. Why?

Because now you've got to start braising using these ingredients for the aromatics.

If there's too much blackened bits at bottom of pot, wipe it clean with a paper towel, or de-glaze with a little water then discard. Reduce heat to medium. Add olive oil, and only then add aromatics.

Cook, stirring often, till onion is translucent, 2 to 3 mins. After a minute or two if onion isn't softening, slightly increase the heat.

If the garlic or onion begins to burn, add a little water and stir up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan.

Sprinkle the flour into the pot, and stir to coat everything evenly. This helps to soak up excess liquid.

Cook the flour just long enough to remove the starchy taste without taking on any color, about 30 seconds.

Add vinegar;

and water, and bring to a boil. De-glaze pot, scraping up browned bits from the bottom.

Then replace the roast to the pot to start braising. The water should come only about 1 inch up the sides of the meat.

Whilst the meat is braising, turn it every 30 minutes. After 2½ to 3 hours, the meat should be almost tender (a sharp knife inserted in the center should meet little resistance).

Remove the meat from the pot and strain braising liquid through a fine sieve, pressing on the solids to extract as much liquid as possible (discard solids).

Return the strained liquid to the pot.

Now these are ingredients for your garnish vegetables.

Add them to pot submerging in the strained liquid (the liquid should almost reach top of vegetables).

Add the roast and nestle the garnish vegetables around it. Bring liquid to a boil, then simmer until vegetables are tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Tender test: no resistance when pierced with knife.

Transfer the meat and vegetables to a serving platter, leaving the sauce behind (there should be about 1 cup).

Cover sauce and keep warm near the stove. If it's too thin, heat until reduced (but be mindful of the saltiness, since the more sauce is reduced the saltier it will taste).

Or thicken it with a bit more flour, whisking until smooth. Add a small amount of vinegar if necessary to balance the flavors.

Let roast stand for about 20 minutes, then slice to desired thickness. Spoon some sauce over pot roast and vegetables to moisten and serve with remaining sauce on the side.

The meat will be firm enough to slice; if you want it to be falling-apart tender, cook 30 minutes more. Bon appetit and be kind always.