Recipe: Pot Roast with Yams and Ancho Ketchup

POT ROAST WITH YAMS AND ANCHO KETCHUP

1/2 cup flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon cracked or freshly ground black pepper
4 to 6 pounds chuck roast
1/2 cup corn oil
3/4 cup Ancho Ketchup (recipe follows)
1 onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups beef broth
3 carrots, peeled, cut in 2-inch pieces
3 yams or sweet potatoes, cut into 2-inch pieces

Heat oven to 300 degrees F.

Whisk together flour, salt and pepper in large pie plate. Roll pot roast in flour mixture.

Heat oil in large oven-safe Dutch oven. Sear roast until well browned, about 4 minutes per side.

Add Ancho Ketchup, onion and garlic. Cook 5 minutes. Add broth.

Cover and bake 1 hour. Add carrots and yams. Cook 1 1/2 to 2 hours longer or until beef and vegetables are very tender.

ANCHO KETCHUP
Makes 1 1/4 cups

"For French fries, onion rings, hamburgers and pot roast."

3 dried ancho chilies, stemmed, seeded
5 cloves garlic, smashed
2 tablespoons chopped white onion
1 1/2 cups water
1/2 cup tomato paste
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 1/4 teaspoons packed brown sugar
Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper

Place chilies, garlic and onion in large saucepan; cover with 1 1/2 cups water. Heat to boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer until peppers have absorbed some liquid and have become soft, about 15 minutes.

Remove chilies, garlic and onion with slotted spoon to food processor fitted with metal blade; reserve liquid. Add tomato paste, cumin, brown sugar and 1 cup of the reserved liquid. Puree, adding more pepper liquid until desired thickness is reached. Adjust seasonings, adding salt, pepper and more brown sugar, if desired.

Spoon ketchup into glass container; store in refrigerator until ready to use.

Makes 8 servings
Source: A Cowboy in the Kitchen: Recipes from Reata and Texas West of the Pecos by Grady Spears and Robb Walsh