FMIC KITCHEN

Embrace the pot roast this winter!

Pot roast can be a simple and delicious addition to your winter menu options. My favorite roast is the chuck roast; it has terrific marbling throughout the meat, and when given ample time to cook, the chuck roast winds up being melt-in-your mouth delicious. You can not rush a pot roast, and if you do, you’ll be disappointed with the results, as will your jaws muscles from all the chewing.

DIRECTIONS

Choose a nicely marbled piece of meat. Generously salt and pepper your chuck roast.

Preheat the oven to 275˚. Heat a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Then add 3 to 4 tablespoons of “high heat” olive oil.

Cut celery into 3” pieces and set aside. Cut two onions in half and then peel and cut 6 to 8 carrots into 2-inch slices. When the oil in the pot is hot (but not smoking), add in the halved onions, browning them on one side and then the other. Remove the onions to a plate. Throw the carrots into the same hot pan and toss them around a bit until slightly browned for about a minute or two.

If needed, add a bit more olive oil to the hot pan. Place the meat in the pan and sear all sides for about a minute or until it is nice and brown all over. Remove the roast to a plate. With the burner still on high, use beef broth (about 1 cup) to deglaze the pan, scraping the bottom with a whisk. When the bottom of the pan is deglazed, place the roast back into the pan and add enough beef stock (3-4 cups) to cover the meat halfway. Add in the onions, carrots, and celery as well as 3 or 4 sprigs of fresh rosemary and about 3 sprigs of fresh thyme. Put the lid on, then roast in the oven for 3 hours (for a 3-pound roast). For a 4 to 5-pound roast, plan on 4 hours.

INGREDIENTS

1 whole (4 to 5 pounds) chuck roast

2 tbsp. olive oil

2 whole onions

4 to 6 whole carrots-cut/cubed

4 to 6 celery stocks-cut 3” pieces

Salt, to taste

Pepper, to taste

1 cup beef stock

3-4 cups beef stock

3 sprigs of fresh thyme, or more to taste

3 sprigs of fresh rosemary, or more to taste