Sunday, October 08, 2006

So Meaty!

Vegetarians, please look away and stop reading now.

With the weather being a little cooler (and rainy the past few days) we decided to go with a good old fashioned beef pot roast for dinner tonight. And I love my recipe; it's particularly nice for a weekend, when you have the time to get everything together. You need three to four hours for prep and cooking.

Pot Roast
Serves 4-6

2-3 lbs Beef Roast (I can't remember the cut of meat--Rump? Chuck Roast?)
Salt/Pepper
2 TB Olive Oil
1 Large Onion, diced large
6 Cloves Garlic, sliced
3 TB Tomato Paste
1 tsp Oregano
1 tsp Thyme
1 tsp Marjoram
1/2 tsp Cayenne Pepper (optional)
2 Bay Leaves
1 cup dry Red Wine
1 cup boiling water
1 Beef bouillon cube

3 Potatoes, cubed
1/2 pound Carrots, large dice

Preheat oven to 325.

Pat the roast dry with a paper towel and season with salt and pepper.

Heat a large oven proof skillet with a cover, or large dutch oven over medium high heat. Add the olive oil and then gently place the roast into the pan. Sear on both sides for about 5 minutes per side. Remove to a plate.

Add the onions to the pan and allow to saute for about 4 mintues. Add the garlic and stir into the onions and cook for a minute. Clear the middle of the pan and add the tomato paste, smear it around and stir the onions and garlic into the paste. Add the spices and stir. Gently pour in the red wine and stir to incorporate with the tomato paste and onions. Add the water and the bouillon cube. Bring to a simmer.

Add the roast back into the pan, cover and place in the oven for one hour. At the one hour mark, remove and turn the roast over. Cover and return to the oven for another hour.

After the second hour, check to see how tender the roast is. If it's starting to easily pull apart, or fall apart in the pan, it's time for the veg. Add the potatoes and carrots. Cover and place back in the oven for another 30 minutes (maybe a little longer, depending on how large your veg are cut).

When the potatoes and carrots are tender it's time to eat! Remove the roast to a plate. Spoon the vegetables into a bowl. Pour the gravy through a sieve to remove the garlic bits and smushy onions (this is optional, but nice).

Plate up the meat and vegetables. Serve with some gravy and garnish with chopped parsley.

Out of the oven and ready to plate up.

There is something to great about potatoes and carrots that have been slow cooked in a rich beefy brothy.

The cut of meat I had was particularly fatty, so a little work was needed to clean up the meat before serving. But it was so easy, as the meat was just falling apart, meltingly tender.

Mmmm!

6 comments:

DC Food Blog said...

Aren't you glad the weather turned cool so we can enjoy stuff like this? Saturday night, we made a roast chicken with mashed potatoes and brussel sprouts.

Brunette said...

You said rump.

That looks totally delicious. I do love summer, but I'm so glad it's stew/roast/casserole season again!

Dancer in DC said...

The official title of this divine concoction is "Pot-Bellied Pot Roast" because you eat so much, you feel like you have a pot belly when you're done. :)

ScottE. said...

Yes, when made this several years ago in the slow cooker, we called it "Pot Bellied Pot Roast." I got it all started, then we went to a concert that well REALLY long, so it was particularly tender upon our return.

Anonymous said...

I need to learn how to cook some mmmmmm-meat in my slow cooker. I don't have big enough stove/oven pans to make it happen, but the slow cooker is definitely my game plan for this winter. I've already started looking up some WW-friendly stew recipes. Can't wait!

ScottE. said...

Stef: A pot roast is made for the slow cooker. That's where this recipe started!