Italian Pot Roast

IngredientsClear All

For the roast

• Approximately 5 lb chuck roast (or any good braising roast)
• 1-2 tbs olive oil
• 1 onion, minced
• 2 large carrots, minced
• 2 celery stalks, minced (mirepoix)
• 4+ cloves garlic, minced (to taste)
• 1 28 oz can San Marzano tomatoes (Cento brand recommended)
• Assorted herbs: rosemary (powdered), basil, oregano, tarragon, chervil
• 1 cup beef stock
• 1 cup red wine
• Salt + pepper

For the sides

• 2-3 pounds bite-sized creamer or fingerling potatoes
• 4-5 large carrots, cut into bite-sized pieces

Instructions

1. Salt the roast (night before): Liberally salt the roast and leave in the fridge overnight, covered. The longer you do this the more evenly the salt distributes, so 3 days is good if you can, but overnight is the minimum.

2. Preheat and prepare: Preheat oven to 325°F. Pepper the roast.

3. Sear the roast: In a large dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Sear all sides of the roast until you've got a really good sear. Don't let it get too hot, you don't want to burn the olive oil. Remove roast and set aside.

4. Cook the mirepoix: Add mirepoix and cook over medium-low heat in the bits (add more oil if needed) until the vegetables are soft and the onions are browning. Add the minced garlic near the end.

5. Build the braising liquid: Deglaze with the wine, scraping up all the stuff that's now stuck to the bottom of the dutch oven. Add herbs, tomatoes, beef stock. Break up the tomatoes, simmer for a few minutes until it's all combined.

6. Braise: Add the roast, you want it completely submerged. Add more liquid if needed. Get liquid back up to simmering. Cover and put dutch oven into preheated oven. Braise at least 2 hours. Timing here seems a little open, I tend to bring it out every 30m or so and cut off a chunk and taste test it. I want the meat to no longer be chewy, but I still want it to hold together when sliced. 3-4 hours is usually about right.

7. Boil vegetables: When you think you're about 30 minutes from being finished, boil the potatoes and carrots.

8. Plate: Remove the roast from the braising liquid and slice into 2 or so ounce chunks. Place in a serving dish. Use a slotted spoon and transfer the braising liquid to a serving bowl. Don't just dump it, there's a lot of oil that accumulates on the top that you can avoid by using the slotted spoon. The chunks will still be plenty liquid. Traditionally you'll put this liquid over the roast right in the serving bowl, but I have a few picky eaters so I keep separate. Check the salt level -- the salt came from the meat, depending on how liberally you salted you might need a bit more here.

9. Serve: Serve roast with potatoes, carrots, and sauce. Traditionally served over creamy polenta (see separate polenta recipe).

Notes

Make ahead: Salt the roast 1-3 days in advance for best results

Serving suggestions:

• Traditionally served over creamy polenta (see separate polenta recipe)
• Can also serve over mashed potatoes, egg noodles, or rice
• The braising liquid makes an excellent sauce

Tips:

• Taste test the meat every 30 minutes after the first 2 hours
• Use a slotted spoon when transferring the braising liquid to avoid excess oil
• The roast should be tender but still hold together when sliced

Source

Family recipe