Pot Roast
Pot Roast
Serves 4
In order for this recipe to work properly, let the roast sit (wrapped) for one to two hours outside of the refrigerator so that it comes to room temperature (between 65 and 70°F) before cooking. Otherwise, it will take a lot longer to cook at the low heat called for in this recipe.
3 1/2 to 4 lb of beef shoulder or boneless chuck roast (look for a piece that is well marbled with fat for best results)
2 Tablespoons olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
2 large yellow onions, thickly sliced, lengthwise (root to tip), about 4 cups sliced onion
4 cloves of garlic, peeled (or use minced garlic)
1/2 cup of red wine
1 cup beef stock
1 bay leaf
Pinch of rosemary
Pinch of thyme
Six carrots, peeled and cut into chunks
1 cup chopped celery
Use a dutch oven, just large enough to hold roast and vegetables. Heat 2 Tbsp of oil on medium high heat (hot enough to sear the meat). Pat the roast dry with paper towels. Sprinkle and rub salt and pepper all over the meat. Brown roast in pot, all over, several minutes on each side. Don’t move the roast while a side is browning, or it won’t brown well.
When roast is browned, remove from pan and set on a plate. Add the onions to the pan and cook for about 5 to 10 minutes, until they begin to brown. Add the garlic, celery, and carrots to sit on top of the onions. Set the roast on top of the onions, garlic and carrots. Add red wine and beef stock. Add the bay leaf, rosemary, and thyme. Cover. Bring to simmer and then adjust the heat down to the lowest heat possible to maintain a low simmer when covered. If cooking in the oven, start the temp at 300°F for 15 minutes, then drop it to 200°F.
Cook for 3 1/2 to 4 hours, or longer, until meat is tender. (If you are using a pressure cooker, cut the time by half).
Suggest serving with green beans and potatoes
Tasting Notes: Do NOT use Pioneer Woman’s recipe; 275 degrees is way too high.
Daube de Boeuf Provencal
Daube de Boeuf Provencal
Serves 6
4 fresh thyme
1 dried bay leaf
3 whole cloves
1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
3 orange zest, (2 to 3 inches each), plus 2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
1 medium onion, coarsely chopped (about 1 cup)
2 garlic cloves, crushed with the flat side of a large knife
1 celery stalk, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces (about 1/2 cup)
3 medium carrots, cut crosswise into 1-inch pieces (about 1 1/4 cups)
1 bottle (750 mL) rich red wine, such as Syrah or Shiraz
4 pounds beef chuck roast, cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1/2 cup homemade or low-sodium store-bought beef or chicken stock
1/2 cup nicoise olives, pitted and rinsed
Coarse salt
Make a bouquet garni: Put thyme, bay leaf, cloves, peppercorns, and zest on a piece of cheesecloth; tie into a bundle. Combine onion, garlic, celery, carrots, bouquet garni, and wine in a large non-reactive bowl. Add beef, and toss to coat. Cover, and marinate in the refrigerator 12 to 24 hours, stirring occasionally.
Preheat oven to 300 degrees;. Remove beef from wine mixture; pat dry with paper towels. Set aside. Transfer wine mixture to a heavy pot; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 5 minutes. Set aside. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook half of the beef, turning, until deeply browned, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate. Repeat with remaining oil and beef. Stir tomato paste into stock; add to the skillet, scraping up browned bits with a wooden spoon. Add to wine mixture. Stir in olives and beef. Season with salt. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat.
Cover daube; transfer to oven. Cook 2 hours. Reduce oven temperature to 275 degrees; if daube starts to boil. After 2 hours, stir in orange juice. Cook until beef is very tender, about 30 minutes more.
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