Recipe: Chinese Pot Roast

CHINESE POT ROAST

1 clove garlic, minced
1 1/2 teaspoons peeled, minced gingerroot
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder*
1 (4 to 4 1/2 pound) boneless chuck roast
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon sherry
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups water
3 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
3 carrots, scraped and cut into 2-inch pieces
1 stalk celery, cut into 2-inch pieces
1 onion, cut into wedges
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 cup cold water
2 green onions, chopped

Combine first 4 ingredients; stir well. Rub garlic mixture over entire surface of roast. Place roast in an ungreased 13x9x2-inch dish.

Combine soy sauce, brown sugar, and sherry; pour marinade mixture over roast. Cover and marinate in refrigerator 30 minutes, turning once.

Remove roast from marinade, reserving marinade. Brown roast in oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat.

Pour reserved marinade and 1 1/2 cups water over roast. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 2 hours.

Add potatoes, carrots, celery, and onion. Cook an additional 30 minutes or until vegetables are tender.

Remove roast and vegetables to a serving platter, reserving pan juices. Set roast and vegetables aside, and keep warm.

Combine cornstarch and 1/4 cup water, stirring until smooth. Add cornstarch mixture and green onions to pan juices; cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until thickened and bubbly.

Serve roast with warm sauce.

*Chinese five-spice powder is a ground mixture of five spices - cinnamon, cloves, fennel seed, star anise, and Szechuan peppercorns.

Servings: 12
Source: A Collection of Favorite Recipes from Po'okela Church in Makawao, Hawaii