Waking up to an inch of snow last weekend I immediately decided it was time to make my first pot roast of the winter. I’ve always been partial to cooking hearty soups, stews, and one pot meals that braise away for hours in the oven.
I can linger in the kitchen taking my time as the house fills with increasingly wonderful aromas of the meal to come.
I didn’t follow any particular recipe this time. If you have a 4 pound piece of chuck, some onions, garlic, carrots, tomatoes, thyme and parsley, and hours to just hang out then you have the makings of a satisfying savory pot roast dinner.
Sheila’s Pot Roast Dinner
4 pound chuck roast
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
2 medium yellow onions, peeled and cut in large wedges
2-3 pounds small boiling onions, peeled
4 large garlic cloves, smashed
5-6 large carrots, peeled and cut into large pieces
2 -14 ounce cans diced tomatoes with juice
2 cups beef broth
2 -3 sprigs fresh thyme, left whole
2-3 sprigs Italian parsley, chopped
2 tablespoons flour blended with 1 tablespoon softened butter
Place a large Dutch oven on medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter til hot.
Add the yellow onions, carrots, and boiling onions and cook til beginning to brown.
Set the carrots and onions aside.
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
Dry the chuck roast very well. Generously season all over with Kosher salt and pepper.
Add another tablespoon of oil and raise the heat to medium-high.
Sear the meat in the hot oil, turning to brown on all sides. It might take 5 minutes per side.
Add the tomatoes with juice, beef broth, thyme sprigs, and smashed garlic to the pot.
Cover and place in oven, and cook for 1 hour.
After 1 hour, carefully turn the meat over, and baste with juices. Cover again. Reduce the oven temperature to 275 degrees, and cook for another hour.
Add the carrots and onions and cook for 1 and ½ more hours, basting occasionally.
When the meat is very tender, remove pot from the oven. Transfer the meat, carrots and onions to a platter. Remove and discard the thyme sprigs.
With an immersion blender, or in a regular blender puree the sauce with the remaining bits of vegetables til smooth.
Return the sauce to the Dutch oven. Place the Dutch oven on the stove top and heat on medium.
In a small bowl blend the butter and flour together to make a paste.
Add this paste in small amounts to the boiling sauce, whisking until the sauce reaches your desired thickness.
Return the meat, carrots and onions to the sauce, and sprinkle with the chopped parsley. Check for seasoning. Add salt and pepper if necessary.
Serve with mashed potatoes, noodles, boiled potatoes, or just some hunks of good bread.
