Recipe of the Day

We don’t each much beef in our household with most of our consumption restricted to those tasty, 1/3 pound ground chuck burgers we obtain from the butcher in town.  Nevertheless, I had a hankering for pot roast the other day and since I was making a trip to town anyway I returned with a hefty chunk of roast for Sunday dinner.  The results were excellent.  Here are simple, easy to follow instructions for a hearty pot roast dinner.

Ingredients:

One beef chuck roast

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

All-purpose flour

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

3 stalks celery, cut into 2-inch chunks

2 carrots cut into 2-inch chunks

One large onion, cut into 1-inch chunks

6-8 medium garden potatoes cut into 2-inch chunks

3 t garlic, chopped fine

3 t thyme

3 t rosemary

2 dried bay leaves

1/2 cup dry red wine

1 32 ounce carton of beef stock

Directions

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.

Season the roast with salt and pepper and dredge in flour.  In your Dutch oven heat the oil until shimmering.  Add the roast and sear on all sides until browned.  Add the beef base, red wine, garlic and spices.   

Add the vegetables reserving the potatoes for last.  Bring everything back to a simmer, cover and place in the oven and cook for three hours.  Uncover and cook an additional hour. 

 

 

Remove the vegetables to an oven proof platter and return to the oven to keep warm.  Transfer the  the meat to a cutting board and tent with foil. 

 

Ladle the remaining liquid from the Dutch oven to a fat separator and return the decanted fat-free juice goodness to the pot.  The drippings will be concentrated so dilute with 4-5 cups of water or to taste. 

 

Time to make the gravy.  Raise the temp on the liquid and thicken with a slurry of cornstarch and water. 

 

 

Carve the meat on the bias, plate with roast veggies and gravy along with a bold red wine. 

 

click on images for a closer look

 

Excellent winter comfort food.