Recipe of the Week: Beef Pot Roast

Sometimes, when there is a chill in the air, nothing warms your bones like a slow-cooked piece of beef. Adapted from Cooking Meat, this pot roast recipe is a braise, and it works well with any tough cut of beef.

Simple Beef Pot Roast

Serves 6 to 8

Ingredients

1 (4 pounds)                      blade roast, trimmed and tied
to taste                               Salt and pepper
2 Tbsp                                 vegetable oil
4 slices                                bacon, medium diced
1                                           large onion, chopped
4                                           garlic cloves, chopped
2                                           medium carrots, chopped
2                                           celery stalks, chopped
1 cup                                   chopped rutabaga,
1 Tbsp                                 tomato paste
1 cup                                   red wine
1 herb bundle                   (4 rosemary sprigs, 4 thyme sprigs, 3 bay leaves, tied together)
3 cups                                 Beef Stock
2 Tbsp                                 cornstarch
2 Tbsp                                 cold water

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 450°F.
2. Season the beef liberally with salt and pepper, then rub it with the oil. Place the beef in roasting pan on an elevated rack and roast until golden brown all over, about 30 minutes.
3. While the beef is browning, place the bacon and onions in a large ovenproof pot over medium heat, stir well, cover the pot, and let cook for 5 minutes. Add the garlic, carrots, celery, and rutabaga, stir, and cover again, sweating all of the vegetables until fragrant and softened, about 10 minutes. Add the tomato paste and stir well, then deglaze the pot with the wine.
4. Add the herb bundle to the pot and season the contents of the pot with salt and pepper. Add the browned beef and turn down the oven to 300°F.
5. Add the stock to the pot and bring it to a simmer over medium heat, ladling off and discarding any scum as it rises to the surface. Once it’s simmering, cover the pot and place in the oven for 1 hour.
6. Lift the lid, turn the beef over, and return to the oven until fork-tender, about 1½ hours. Carefully transfer the meat to cutting board and tent it loosely with aluminum foil to keep it warm. Discard the herb bundle.
7. Strain the braising liquid through a fine-mesh sieve and discard the solids. Place the liquid in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Taste and season with more salt and pepper, if needed.
8. In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and cold water. Slowly pour the cornstarch slurry into the braising liquid, whisking to incorporate, and simmer until thickened. If the sauce seems too thin, make a little more slurry and add it in the same way.
9. To serve, slice the beef and arrange it on a serving platter. Drizzle with some of the sauce and pour the rest into a gravy boat to serve alongside.