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Pot roast is an American stand-by because it is easy to make with commonly-available tools and because it involves a large chunk of beef. Though we use our roast whole, it is perfectly acceptable to break the beef down into pieces big enough for just one or two portions, in order to have more browned surface area. Traditionally, the browned beef is then braised in a covered pot, along with beef stock, mirepoix, root vegetables, and aromatics. Optionally, red wine, demi-glace, or other enhancements may be used. Any sort of beef which will benefit from slow-cooking is a good option for pot roast.
Because it is pot roast, I cut the carrots into large slabs. Also left large are the parsnips and potatoes. Small enough baby potatoes may be left whole, just make sure to scrub them well.
Like most soups, stews and braised dishes, this one is generally better left over, so make it a day ahead. Warm it in a pan or a skillet. A technique that I often use is to saute some mushrooms, placing just the meat for the evening’s meals into the skillet with everything else. This will ensure the beef is warmed through and it will also impart color to the cut faces of the meat. Once the mushrooms and other late additions are cooked properly, the rest of the pot roast elements such as the gravy and the large root vegetables may be added to the pan to warm before serving.
Makes enough for 8-10 servings.
Equipment:
large dutch oven
skillet or saucepan for re-warming
Ingredients:
1-3 lb beef roast blade, sirloin tip, chuck
2-4 ea potatoes or 14-16 baby potatoes; ~1 lb
1-2 ea carrot cut into large pieces
1-2 ea parsnip cut into large pieces
1-2 ea onion cut to half-inch slices
1 ea leek including all usable green parts
2-4 cloves garlic whole or cut in large chunks
1 rib celery
1 quart beef stock
2-4 Tbsp demi-glace optional
1/4 cup red wine optional; something you want to drink; use up to a whole bottle
1/2 lb mushrooms to saute at serving-time
Procedure:
1. Preheat the oven to 275F.
2. Heat the dutch oven over a medium flame with a little olive oil.
3. Season the meat with salt and pepper and brown it on all sides. If you’re using cast iron, searing is a good option. In an enamel dutch oven like we used, lower heat is recommended to protect the finish.
4. Scrub the potatoes and carrots well; it is not necessary to peel them.
5. Clean and peel the parsnips.
6. Cut the potatoes, parsnips and carrots into large pieces. Set aside.
7. If using a fresh leek, wash it thoroughly. Cut it thin across the grain on a cutting board containing nothing else. If it is still gritty after cutting, put it all in a large mixing bowl with water, and use a strainer to lift it from the water, repeating until no longer gritty. Set the leeks aside separately from the root veg; it can go with the garlic.
8. Rinse the celery and slice it thin across the grain. Set it aside with the leeks.
9. Once the meat has been browned on all sides, remove it from the pan temporarily.
10. Place the potatoes cut-side-down onto the fond in the bottom of the pan. Add the onion and the other root veg, putting as many cut faces as possible into contact with the fond on the bottom of the pan, and covering the bottom of the pan so that the meat will be held up by the veg.
11. Toss together and add in the leek-aromatic mix.
12. Arrange the seared beef atop all the vegetables.
13. Pour over the beef stock and optional red wine.
14. Once the broth is a bit warm, add the optional demi-glace and stir it so that it is dissolved into the broth.
15. Bring everything to a simmer, then place the covered dutch oven into the center of the preheated 275F oven for 1.5 - 3 hr.
16. The pot roast is done when the meat is fork-tender, or just shy of it. Leftovers will get a little more cooking; sometimes it’s important to take that into account.
17. Allow the pot roast to cool and then store it in one or more tightly-lidded containers.
18. To serve, slice off an appropriate portion of beef and let it sit in a skillet with some butter and sliced mushrooms, while the mushrooms get a good brown color on them, and so will the beef.
19. Add in an appropriate portion of the root veg and gravy of the pot roast, so it can all warm with the meat and mushrooms.
20. If desired, the broth may be allowed to reduce au sec, with optional cognac, and then made into a butter sauce by the addition of some cold butter, possibly also brunoise shallots and fines herbes. This is delicious but much less healthy and so should be reserved for special occasions.
21. Garnish with chopped parsley (or more fines herbes) and serve with a toasted wedge of campagne, or other hearty bread.
Music: www.bensound.co...
29 май 2024
