A classic Italian-style pot roast slowly braised in red wine, tomatoes, beef stock and aromatic herbs until fork-tender. The rich sauce is especially good served with pasta, creamy polenta or mashed potatoes.
Servings: About 6
Prep Time: About 30 minutes
Cook Time: About 4 hours
Ingredients:
- 3-pound chuck roast
- 1 tablespoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 8 cloves garlic
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large sweet onion, finely diced
- 2 large carrots, shredded or pulsed in a food processor
- 3 ribs celery, shredded or pulsed in a food processor
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 (28-ounce) can plum tomatoes, hand-crushed or pulsed in a blender
- 1½ cups dry red wine
- 2 cups low-sodium beef stock
- 1 cinnamon stick, optional
- 3 large bay leaves
- 5 large sage leaves
- 10 sprigs thyme
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 3 tablespoons minced flat-leaf Italian parsley, for garnish
Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 325°F. Position the oven rack to accommodate a covered Dutch oven.
- Cut the garlic cloves into slivers. Make small slits throughout the roast and insert the garlic slivers. Pat the roast dry with paper towels and season with the kosher salt and black pepper. Reserve any remaining garlic.
- Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the roast and sear until well browned on all sides, about 15 minutes total. Transfer the roast to a plate.
- Add the onion to the Dutch oven along with ¼ cup water and a pinch of salt. Cook over medium heat for about 10 minutes, scraping the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon to loosen the browned bits.
- Add the celery and carrots and continue cooking for another 10–15 minutes, or until the vegetables are very soft. Add any reserved garlic during the last few minutes. If the vegetables begin to burn, lower the heat and add a splash of water or beef stock.
- Add the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute, stirring frequently. Pour in the red wine and bring to a simmer, scraping the bottom of the pot again to release any remaining browned bits.
- Tie the thyme, sage and bay leaves together with kitchen twine or place them in an herb sachet.
- Add the beef stock, tomatoes, optional cinnamon stick and herb bundle. Bring the mixture to a simmer.
- Turn off the heat and return the roast to the Dutch oven. Cover and place in the preheated oven.
- Braise for 3 hours, then check the roast for tenderness. If necessary, return it to the oven for another 30 minutes and check again. Continue until the meat is very tender.
- Transfer the roast to a platter and tent loosely with foil. The roast can be cut into chunks or carefully sliced.
- Remove and discard the herb bundle and cinnamon stick. Degrease the sauce by skimming the fat from the surface with a ladle or briefly laying paper towels over the surface to absorb excess fat. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper.
- Arrange the beef on a serving platter and spoon some of the sauce over the top. Garnish with the minced parsley. Serve with additional sauce alongside pasta, polenta or mashed potatoes.
Tip: This recipe makes plenty of sauce—enough for the pot roast plus approximately 1 pound of pasta. Chuck roast provides the richest result, but rump roast, top round or bottom round can also be used. Leaner roasts are generally better sliced rather than shredded.
Leftovers can be refrigerated for up to 3 days and reheated in the oven.
Source: SipandFeast