On Saturday night, I was in the mood for a hearty meal.  Mike and I decided to make pot roast and roasted red potatoes.

I pulled a recipe off of AllRecipes.com (I just love consumer ratings!) and it looked good with wine and brandy in the recipe.  I did some replacing, such as taking out the celery (since I’m not a fan), and adding turnips.  We also coudn’t find a prime boneless beef chuck roast, so we got a boneless beef top round roast (which may have been a problem, since I believe it’s less fatty).  We also missed a part of the directions that said we should turn down the temperature of the oven, so that may have dried it out.  I also noted there was just something missing.  I can’t put my finger on it exactly, but it just didn’t have the depth of flavor I like.  I think next time I’ll use less thyme and add more acid (such as a balsamic vinegar or coca cola).

As for the potatoes… WOW!  They were amazing.  I kind of made them up as I went along after looking at a few recipes.  They were like delicious, home fries.

Update: I had the pot roast sauce with the root vegetables as leftovers over noodles.  I stirred some balsamic into the sauce and it was perfection.

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Pot Roast

Ingredients:

• 1 (4 to 5-pound) prime boneless beef chuck roast, tied
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• All-purpose flour
• Good olive oil
• 2 cups chopped carrots (4 carrots)
• 2 cups chopped yellow onions (2 onions)
• 2 cups chopped celery (4 stalks) – we substitued for 1 white turnip
• 2 cups chopped leeks, white and light green parts (2 to 4 leeks)
• 5 large garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
• 2 cups good red wine, such as Burgundy
• 2 tablespoons Cognac or brandy
• 1 (28-ounce) can whole plum tomatoes in puree
• 1 cup chicken stock, preferably homemade
• 1 chicken bouillon cube
• 3 branches fresh thyme
• 2 branches fresh rosemary
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, at room temperature
• Balsamic Vinegar to taste (we didn’t add this the first time, but proved necessary)
   

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
2. Pat the beef dry with a paper towel. Season the roast all over with 1 tablespoon salt and 1 1/2 teaspoons pepper.
3. Dredge the whole roast in flour, including the ends.
4. In a large Dutch oven (we used a large cast iron pot and fashioned a lid out of foil), heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat.
5. Add the roast and sear for 4 to 5 minutes, until nicely browned. Turn and sear the other side and then turn and sear the ends. This should take 4 to 5 minutes for each side. Remove the roast to a large plate.
6. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil to the Dutch oven. Add the carrots, onions, celery (we used turnips instead), leeks, garlic, 1 tablespoon salt, and 1 1/2 teaspoons pepper and cook over medium heat for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender but not browned.
7. Add the wine and Cognac and bring to a boil.
8. Add the tomatoes, chicken stock, bouillon cube, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper. (I’d also add the balsamic here)
9. Tie the thyme and rosemary together with kitchen string and add to the pot. (I made a spice ball out of cheese cloth) 
10. Put the roast back into the pot, bring to a boil, and cover.
11. Place in the oven for 1 hours, Turn the heat down to 250 degrees F after about an hour to keep the sauce at a simmer. Cook another 1.5 hours until the meat is fork tender or about 160 degrees F internally.
12. Remove the roast to a cutting board.
13. Remove the herb bundle and discard.
14. Skim off as much fat as possible from the sauce. (we had none)
15. Transfer half the sauce and vegetables to a blender or a food processor fitted with the steel blade and puree until smooth.
16. Pour the puree back into the pot, place on the stovetop over low heat, and return the sauce to a simmer.
17. Place 2 tablespoons flour and the butter in a small bowl and mash them together with a fork. Stir into the sauce and simmer for 2 minutes, stirring until thickened.
18. Taste for seasonings.
19. Remove the strings from the roast (if there are any), and slice the meat.
20. Serve warm with the sauce spooned over it.

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Roasted Red Potatoes

Ingredients:

• About 8 Roasted Red Potatoes (washed and cut into quarters or smaller)
• 1 stick of buter
• Your selection of spices (I went with rosemary, basil, italian seasoning, and a hint of thyme)
• Olive Oil
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Put butter and all spices into a microwave safe dish
2. Melt butter in microwave and taste for your likeness, add salt and pepper as desired (I put kosher salt over the top in the end as well)
3. Add a dash of olive oil to the bottom of the pan to prevent sticking
4. Mix potatoes and butter in a large bowl until thoroughly coated
5. Place in a roasting/baking pan so there is a single layer of potatoes
6. Roast for about 40-50 minutes until potatoes are browned and tender

Tags: pot roast, potatoes, recipes