Pot Roast is something that I think almost every American is familiar with. Our Mothers and Fathers all had their own adaptations of this dish, possibly passed down through their families. Various cuts of meat and an endless variety of vegetables could have been employed. Opinions can differ greatly on issues of searing, temperature and time. On when to throw in the vegetables. What to season the sauce with and whether to strain or not. But all Pot Roasts, in the end, are just simply made from beef and vegetables, slow-cooked in a hearty broth or stock. They all fit this basic criteria, lest they not be a Pot Roast.
In my roast I used a grass-fed chuck roast. Chuck is a tougher cut with lots of fat marbling. What it lacks in tenderness it more than makes up for in flavor. It's similar to short ribs and benefits from a low and slow cooking method.
I braised the roast in stock and red wine with a bunch of herbs, spices and aromatics for 6 hours at 250 degrees. I did this the day before so that it could sit and marinate in the braising liquid and develop some more flavor.
In most traditional pot roasts the vegetables are all cooked together with the meat. They are added either at the same time or in different intervals of the cooking process. I chose to cook the vegetables separately to have more control and preserve their shape and color.
The cauliflower and carrots were both sauteed in butter and oven roasted. As you can tell from the photo, I don't peel my carrots. I like how they look and I hate wasting any of them.
The fingerling potatoes and cippolini onions were slow cooked in pork fat for 2 hours. This added another dimension of richness to the dish.
To finish the dish, the beef is removed from the liquid and sliced into uniform cubes. Its seasoned and seared in oil to get the outside crispy. The stock is strained and reduced into a thick sauce. And the vegetables are all brought back up to temperature in the oven.
In my roast I used a grass-fed chuck roast. Chuck is a tougher cut with lots of fat marbling. What it lacks in tenderness it more than makes up for in flavor. It's similar to short ribs and benefits from a low and slow cooking method.
I braised the roast in stock and red wine with a bunch of herbs, spices and aromatics for 6 hours at 250 degrees. I did this the day before so that it could sit and marinate in the braising liquid and develop some more flavor.
In most traditional pot roasts the vegetables are all cooked together with the meat. They are added either at the same time or in different intervals of the cooking process. I chose to cook the vegetables separately to have more control and preserve their shape and color.
The cauliflower and carrots were both sauteed in butter and oven roasted. As you can tell from the photo, I don't peel my carrots. I like how they look and I hate wasting any of them.
The fingerling potatoes and cippolini onions were slow cooked in pork fat for 2 hours. This added another dimension of richness to the dish.
To finish the dish, the beef is removed from the liquid and sliced into uniform cubes. Its seasoned and seared in oil to get the outside crispy. The stock is strained and reduced into a thick sauce. And the vegetables are all brought back up to temperature in the oven.