Pot Roast

by Dec 11, 2012

potroast
Pot Roast
serves 4 – 6

See ingredients for “Meat”, “Veggies & Bacon” and “Liquid” when shopping.

Meat:
2 – 3 pounds beef or bison chuck roast, boneless
kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
high heat cooking oil, like peanut or grapeseed
optional:  smoked paprika or other seasoning for meat
Veggies & bacon:
1 onion, chopped
1 – 2 shallots, peeled and sliced
optional:  3 – 5 carrots, peeled and sliced into 1/4 inch thick rounds
optional:  3 slices bacon, sliced across into 1/2 inch pieces
optional:  2 tablespoons flour (“all-purpose” or corn starch work well)
optional:  1 tablespoon tomato paste
Liquid:
about 4 cups liquid;  I like to use what I have in the fridge:  some wine, the end of a jug of apple juice, some stock – you can really use anything you’d like.  I usually get close to the following:
2 cups full bodied red wine, like a Malbec or Rhone red
1 cup chicken or beef stock
1 cup apple juice
 
4 Easy Steps:
 
1.  Brown the Meat (and preheat the oven to 325°F)
Sprinkle the meat with salt, pepper and any additional seasonings.  Heat a tablespoon or two of oil in a dutch oven (4- 6 qt size w/a lid; I like Le Creuset) over high heat and brown the roast on all sides.  You want a nice “crust” for flavor, so don’t rush this.  It’ll probably take you 15 minutes.   Remove meat to a plate and set aside.
2.  Veggies & Bacon
Heat an additional tablespoon of oil if you need more fat in the dutch oven, then add the onion, shallots, and optional carrots, and optional bacon.  Stir and cook for about 10 minutes, until veggies are softened.  If you want a thicker sauce, sprinkle a couple tablespoons of flour over the veggies/bacon and cook and stir for a couple minutes to toast the flour.  If you want a richer-tomato red color, stir in a tablespoon of tomato paste.
3.  Liquid
Pour in the first 1/2 cup of your liquid and, with a wooden spoon, scrape up any bits on the bottom of the dutch oven.  Set the meat into the pot (plus any juices from the plate), and pour in the rest of your braising liquid components; you want the liquid to come about 3/4 of the way up the sides of the meat.  Bring to a boil and cover with lid.
4.  Oven
Set the dutch oven into your preheated 325° F oven for 3 1/2 hours or until the meat is fork tender and pulls apart easily.  Enjoy!
Amy’s Kitchen Coach Tips
  • If you wish, you can omit the flour and reduce the sauce after the the cooking has finished.  Just set the dutch oven back on the stovetop after the 3 1/2 hours of cooking, remove the meat to a clean plate, and boil the liquid over high heat until it is reduced by about half.  Add the meat back and serve.
  • Serve the pot roast with crusty bread, polenta, or pasta.
  • Kale sautéed with a sliced shallot and some currants and pinenuts pair great with a rich stew like pot roast.
  • All stews and braises get better with a little time on them.  Take the pressure off yourself and make this dish a day or two in advance, store in the refrigerator, remove the hardened fat then reheat gently on the stovetop when you are ready to serve.

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