Roast with Love

                      

One of Dave's Grandma's favorite dinners is pot roast.  With mashed potatoes and gravy.  Lots of gravy.  Grandma was in town over the weekend and to make her feel more comfortable, I decided to try my hand at preparing a pot roast.  I was pleasantly surprised by how easy this one-pot supper was to assemble.  A large, moist beef roast with tender root vegetables and a pan sauce gravy.  Filling, rich and satisfying.  We added a batch of piping hot, whipped mashed potatoes to complete the meal. As a welcome bonus, our house was filled with the most delicious and warming smells all afternoon. On a cool, early-September evening, this seemed to be the perfect comfort food. And comforting Grandma should always be a priority.

Pot Roast with Vegetables and Gravy
(adapted from The New Best Recipe: All-New Edition, from the editors of Cook's Illustrated Magazine)

Serves 6-8

1 3 1/2 lb boneless chuck roast (tied by the butcher)
salt and freshly ground black pepper
olive oil
1 large yellow onion, coarsely chopped
1 large carrot, coarsely chopped + 1 lb carrots peeled and sliced 1/2 inch thick on the bias
1 stalk of celery (with leaves), coarsely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp granulated sugar
1 cup chicken stock (low sodium)
1 cup beef broth (low sodium)

Handful of fresh thyme sprigs
1 lb parsnips, peeled and sliced 1/2 inch thick on the bias
1/2 cup dry red wine
cornstarch
Chopped fresh Italian parsely

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

Pat the roast dry with paper towels and season it liberally with the salt and freshly ground pepper. In a large dutch oven, heat a few tablespoons of olive oil over high heat.  When the oil is shimmering, sear the roast on all sides until darkly crusty and caramelized.  This may take 10-12 minutes.  Decrease the heat to medium-high heat if the roast begins to smoke.  Once all sides of the roast are seared, remove it to a plate and set it aside.

Reduce the heat a bit and add the coarsely chopped onion, single coarsely chopped carrot and celery stalk to the pot.  Stir occasionally for about 8 minutes or until the vegetables just begin to brown.  Add the garlic and sugar and stir for about 1 minute or until the garlic is fragrant.  Add the chicken stock, beef broth and thyme sprigs.  With a wooden spoon, scrape all of the brown bits from the bottom of the pot (added flavor).  Return the roast to the pot, along with any juices left on the plate. If the liquid in the pot does not come halfway up the sides of the roast, add water until it does. Bring the dish to a simmer.  Once simmering, cover and put the pot in the oven. Cook for 4 hours, flipping the roast over once halfway through cooking.

After 4 hours, when the meat is fork tender, remove the pot from the oven.  Transfer roast to a plate. Pour the remaining liquid through a sieve and discard the vegetable and herb solids. Return liquid to the pot and after allowing it to rest for a few minutes, skim off any fat that accumulates on the surface (optional). Return roast to the pot with the liquid and add the bias-cut carrots and parsnips, ensuring that the vegetables are submerged in the liquid. Return the pot to the oven and cook for 25 minutes or until the vegetables are close to tender.

Remove pot from the oven and place it on the stove. Remove roast from the pot and place it on your serving platter. Remove string and tent the roast with foil. Add the red wine to the sauce and vegetables and season with salt and pepper to taste. (The sauce may be sufficiently salty from the seasoning of the meat earlier in the process). Boil the sauce over high heat until the vegetables are sufficiently tender, approximately 10 minutes. Transfer vegetables to the platter with the meat, also covering them with the foil.

Bring remaining sauce to a simmer.  Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk about a tablespoon of cornstarch with a few tablespoons of warm water until smooth. Whisk this mixture into the pan sauce. Bring sauce up to a boil and whisk until thickened and smooth.

Remove foil from the platter and sprinkle chopped parsley over the meat and vegetables. Serve gravy on the side.

Searing the roast gives this dish incredible flavor and ensures that the beef keeps a caramelized, browned crust through the cooking process.  

Saute vegetables in the rendered beef fat to absorb the rich, crusted flavor at the bottom of the pot.

Ready to go to into the oven.  Mouth-watering smells to follow.

Sweet, earthy carrots and parsnips serve as the vegetable component and give the pot roast added flavor and texture. 

Mashed potatoes prepared with cream, butter and sour cream.  The perfect way to soak up that delicious gravy and to make this one-pot wonder a complete meal.  {These delicious and creamy potatoes were made by Jane, my lovely Mother-in-law}

Red wine and a set table.  Time for a warm, comforting dinner