Recipe: Merlot Pot Roast with Horseradish Smashed Potatoes (updated 11-6-02)

Hi Mary,

I got this from Betsy's weekly menu, the whole meal sounds delicious!

Merlot Pot Roast with Horseradish Smashed Potatoes

1 tied fat-trimmed boned beef chuck roast (3 to 31/2 lb.)
Fresh-ground pepper
1 tablespoon butter or olive oil
3 carrots (about 1/4 lb. each), rinsed and peeled
1 onion (1/2 lb.), peeled and chopped
2/3 cup chopped celery
3 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon black peppercorns
1 dried bay leaf
1 cup Merlot or other dry red wine
1/3 cup canned tomato paste
1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
Horseradish smashed potatoes
1 tablespoon minced parsley
1 to 2 cups watercress sprigs, rinsed and crisped (optional)
Salt

Rinse beef, pat dry, and sprinkle generously all over with fresh-ground pepper. Melt butter in a 10- to 12-inch nonstick frying pan over high heat. When hot, add beef and brown well on all sides, 6 to 8 minutes total.

Meanwhile, cut carrots into sticks about 3/8 inch thick and 2 inches long. In a 41/2-quart or larger electric slow-cooker, combine carrots, onion, celery, garlic, thyme, peppercorns, and bay leaf. Set beef on vegetables; add drippings. In a small bowl, mix wine and tomato paste; pour over meat and vegetables.

Cover and cook until beef is very tender when pierced, 8 to 9 hours on low, 5 to 6 hours on high. If possible, turn meat over halfway through cooking.

With 2 slotted spoons, transfer meat to a platter; keep warm. Skim and discard any fat from cooking liquid. Turn cooker to high. In a small bowl, blend cornstarch with 11/2 tablespoons water; pour into cooker and stir often until sauce is bubbling, 10 to 15 minutes.

With a slotted spoon, lift vegetables from cooker and arrange beside meat. Spoon horseradish smashed potatoes onto platter; sprinkle with parsley. Garnish platter with watercress. Spoon sauce over meat. Slice meat and serve with vegetables, potatoes, and sauce, adding salt to taste.

Horseradish Smashed Potatoes. Scrub and peel 3 to 31/2 pounds russet potatoes; cut into 11/2-inch chunks. Put them in a 4- to 5-quart pan with 21/2 quarts water. Bring to a boil over high heat; reduce heat, cover, and simmer until potatoes mash easily when pressed, 20 to 25 minutes.

When potatoes are done, heat 1 to 11/2 cups half-and-half (light cream) or fat-skimmed chicken broth with 2 tablespoons butter or margarine in a microwave-safe container in a microwave oven at full power (100%) just until steaming (don't boil), 1 to 3 minutes. Or warm in a 1- to 1 1/2-quart pan over medium heat.

While cream heats, drain potatoes and mash in pan with a mixer or potato masher until almost smooth. Add cream, a portion at a time, and mix until potatoes have the consistency desired. Stir in salt, pepper, and 1 to 2 tablespoons prepared horseradish to taste. Mound beside Merlot pot roast (preceding) or scrape into a bowl. Makes 6 to 7 cups; 6 to 8 servings.

Per serving: 189 cal., 31% (59 cal.) from fat; 3.9 g protein; 6.6 g fat (3.9 g sat.); 29 g carbo (2.6 g fiber); 55 mg sodium; 19 mg chol.