Picante Pot Roast

This is my family's favorite roast recipe. It is savory and spicy and I make it with extra carrots and serve with homemade mashed potatoes and gravy. This is great to prepare on a Saturday evening to the point of baking. Get up Sunday morning, stick it in the oven before church and come home to a wonderful meal. (If you fix the potatoes the night before -- all you'll need to do is microwave until hot.)

• Ready In: 4 hrs 30 mins
• Serves: 6-8

Ingredients

• 3  lbs  boneless shoulder  chuck roast
• 3 -4  cloves garlic, slivered (I use the jarred garlic pieces – about 1t)
• 1 -2  pickled jalapeno pepper, slivered
•  blend of dry  southwest seasoning (I use Emeril’s Southwestern blend or the Bayou Blast either one)
• 2  tablespoons bacon drippings or 2  tablespoons  oil
• 1⁄4 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 (10 ounce) cans  ro-tel tomatoes and green chilies
• 1⁄2-1  cup  unsalted beef stock (I use Campbell’s even though it has salt and just cut the salt on the roast)
• 6  carrots, cut in halves (I use a bag of baby carrots)
• 1 -2  onion, sliced in rings

Directions

1. Insert the garlic and jalapeno slivers into openings in the meat’s surface.
2. Rub the meat well with the dry rub or other seasoning blend, and let it sit about 30 minutes to come close to room temperature.
3. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.
4. Heat the bacon drippings (for more flavor) or oil in a heavy lidded skillet or Dutch oven.
5. Dredge the meat in the flour, and brown it in the drippings or oil.
6. Turn off the heat.
7. Pour in the tomatoes and ½ cup of stock, and add the carrots and onions to the pan.
8. Cover the pan tightly, and bake the roast for 4 hours.
9. Check the meat after 3 hours, and add more stock if it is getting dry.
10. If it seems a little soupy, uncover it for the last 30 minutes of baking.
11. The meat should be falling apart tender when done.
12. Serve the meat and vegetables hot.