The main star of this dish is a 2.5 pound chuck roast. A tough piece of meat that when prepared properly is tender and delightful. First I gathered the mis-en-place for the recipe most of which is pictured below.
Place the roast on a rack over a sheet pan and season with kosher salt. It is important to use kosher salt or sea salt here as iodized salt will change the end product in a not so favorable way. Let the roast sit for an hour or so.
For the sauce we will start with wine, a whole bottle (750ml). I think it is important to say at this time that you should get an inexpensive red that is pretty fruity without a lot of tannins as this will produce a better sauce. It should be a wine that you are willing to drink, if you won't drink it, don't cook with it. Now pour the wine into a large sauce pan and reduce to 2 cups.
While the wine is reducing, cut the bacon into 1/2 inch pieces and cook them in a Dutch oven or similar pot until crispy. Remove the bacon and save it for later. Turn the heat up until the rendered oil starts to smoke. Dry the roast with paper towels and sear the meat on each side until well browned (about 2 minutes a side) and set aside for later.
Now add the diced onions to the hot pan and sauté until tender, about 5 mins. Add your garlic, flour and bacon and cook for about 30-45 seconds while stirring constantly.
Truss the beef with butchers twine to hold it together when it's done. This meat will literally be so tender that it could be difficult to remove from the pan when finished unless it is trussed.
Deglaze with your reduced wine, beef stock. Add the bacon and bouquet garni (thyme, parsley stems and bay leaves tied together in a bunch), bring to a simmer and place the roast in the liquid. The braising liquid should cover about 3/4 of the roast. Cover the pot with foil and a lid, place in a 300F oven. If you don't have beef stock, chicken stock can be substituted. This will make the finished product a little lighter which can be a good thing for some folks.
While the pot roast cooks, blanch the pearl onions for about 2-3 minutes in boiling water, let them cool a bit and peel. Cut your mushrooms in half if they are small, quarters if they are large. In a large sauté pan place the butter and sugar turn the burner on high. Sauté the onions until they begin to show a little caramelization then add the mushrooms and sauté until everything in the pan is tender and glazed. Set aside.
Add the carrots when the roast has been in the oven for about 2 hours. The pot roast is finished when you can pierce it with a fork and the meat will separate easily (3 hours or so). Remove the pot from the oven and carefully lift the roast out and place it on a plate and cover with foil. I use the same piece that covered the pan in the oven. Remove the strings and slice into 1/2-3/4 inch pieces.
Remove veggies from the braising liquid and reduce it on high heat to about two cups. Place roast on a serving dish and arrange vegetables, onions and mushroom for presentation. Ladle sauce on top and serve. There should be enough sauce to have a dish of it on the side as you and your friends will likely want extra.
Here is the recipe:
1 Boneless Chuck Roast (2 - 3 lbs)
2 tsp Kosher Salt
1 bottle of Medium Bodied Wine
5 Parsley Stems
4 Sprigs of Fresh Thyme
2 Bay Leaves
4 oz Thick Cut Bacon
1 Medium Onion (small dice) about 1 cup
2 Medium garlic Cloves (minced)
1 T All Purpose Flour
2 C Beef Stock
3 Carrots (cut on a bias about 3/4" thick)
2 C Fresh Pearl Onions
3 T Butter
2 tsp Sugar
12 oz Small Button Mushrooms
The original recipe from which this one was modified can be found in Larouse Gastronomique (page 82).
Next up: Easy, Multi Use Pulled Pork.
Great recipe, Mike!
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