Let’s cook this classic oven pot roast:

1. Preheat Oven and Prepare Roast:

• Preheat your oven to 325°F (165°C).
• Pat the rump roast dry with paper towels. Season it generously on all sides with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
• In a large shallow bowl or plate, combine the ½ cup of all-purpose flour with ground black pepper to taste.
• Dredge the seasoned rump roast in the flour mixture, ensuring it’s evenly coated on all sides. Shake off any excess flour.

2. Brown the Roast:

• Melt the ¼ cup of butter in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering.
• Carefully place the flour-dusted rump roast into the hot butter. Brown the roast deeply on all sides. This will take about 3-5 minutes per side. Good browning develops crucial flavor!
• Once browned, transfer the roast to a 4-quart casserole dish that has a tight-fitting lid.

3. Prepare the Braising Liquid (Gravy Base):

• In a small bowl, combine the condensed cream of mushroom soup, dry vermouth, and the dry onion soup mix. Whisk or stir until well blended.
• Pour this mixture evenly over the browned roast in the casserole dish.

4. Bake (Braise) in the Oven:

• Cover the casserole dish tightly with its lid.
• Place the covered casserole dish in the preheated oven.
• Bake for approximately 3 hours. The recipe states “until desired doneness” and suggests checking for an internal temperature of at least 145°F (63°C) for medium doneness. However, for a truly tender, fall-apart pot roast (which is typical for rump or chuck cuts), you’ll want to cook it much longer, until the internal temperature reaches about 195-205°F (90-96°C), at which point the connective tissue will have broken down. The 3-hour time at 325°F is more aligned with achieving this tender “pot roast” texture.

5. Rest and Serve:

• Once the roast is tender to your liking, carefully remove the casserole dish from the oven.
• Let the pot roast rest in the casserole dish, covered, for at least 15-20 minutes before slicing or shredding. This allows the juices to redistribute, resulting in more moist and flavorful meat.
• Slice or shred the pot roast and serve hot with plenty of the savory pan gravy.

Patience during baking and resting yields the best results