Recipe: Pot-Roasted Beef Chuck with Winter Root Vegetables (make ahead, oven)

POT-ROASTED GRASS-FED BEEF CHUCK WITH WINTER ROOT VEGETABLES

"A good pot roast, when properly cooked, is as appealing as any roast prime rib. This recipe, a complete meal cooked in one pot, uses a method for oven pot-roasting developed by my good friend and former coauthor Lisa Weiss. It always produces great results with little worry."



"For the best flavor, season the roast and refrigerate overnight before cooking."

FOR THE MUSTARD AND PAPRIKA RUB:
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
2 teaspoons sweet Hungarian paprika
1 teaspoon dry mustard powder (I use Colman's)
1 teaspoon light brown sugar
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

FOR THE POT ROAST:
1 (4 pound) boneless grass-fed beef chuck roast, tied*
6 ounces slab bacon, cut into 1 x 1/2-inch-thick strips
2 cups dry red wine
1/2 cup homemade beef stock, canned low-sodium chicken broth, or water, plus more if needed
3 bay leaves
4 cups thinly sliced onions (about 2 large)
12 garlic cloves, peeled
12 small shallots, peeled
4 large carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
3 medium parsnips, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
1 small celery root, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Combine all the ingredients for the rub in a small bowl. Rub thoroughly over all sides of the meat. (If time allows, wrap the roast in plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.)

WHEN READY TO COOK:
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

Heat a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the bacon and cook, stirring from time to time, until browned and lightly crisped. Remove with a slotted spoon and leave about 2 tablespoons of fat in the pot. Increase the heat to medium-high, add the roast, and sear on all sides until nicely browned, about 7 minutes total. Remove the meat.

Pour the red wine into the pot, bring to a boil, scraping any browned bits from the bottom of the pot, and reduce to 1/2 cup, about 10 minutes. Add the stock, reserved bacon, and bay leaves, and lay in the roast. Scatter the onions and garlic over and around the meat.

Cover and bake for 1 hour. Remove the lid, turn over the meat so that it is on top of the onions, and bake for 1 hour more, checking after 30 minutes to make sure there is still liquid in the pot and to stir the onions so that they brown evenly; add more stock or water if necessary.

Remove the roast and add the shallots, carrots, parsnips, and celery root to the pot with the onions. Return the meat to the pot, cover, and bake for 1 hour more, or until the roast is fork-tender and the vegetables are soft. If the roast is not done, continue to bake, checking every 20 minutes.

Remove the meat and vegetables, discarding the bay leaves. Cover loosely with aluminum foil and set aside while you complete the sauce. Degrease the cooking liquid, and boil briefly to concentrate, if desired. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

(You can refrigerate the roast and sauce separately overnight and reheat to serve the next day, discarding any congealed fat on the top of the sauce.)

TO SERVE:
Remove the twine, slice the meat into thick slices or chunks, and ladle the sauce over the meat and vegetables.

*Alternative Cuts: Grass-fed beef brisket or bison brisket. Whole beef shank. Bison chuck roast cuts, such as flat-iron or cross-rib roasts. Grass-fed beef 7-bone chuck roast. (If using bison, a whole flat-iron roast is my preferred cut for pot roast. Bison chuck may take 30 to 60 minutes longer to become tender.)

LEFTOVERS:
- Dice the meat, chop the vegetables, and cover with a biscuit crust for a great beef potpie.
- Use the diced meat and chopped vegetables as a pasta sauce.

Makes 6 servings
Adapted from source: The Great Meat Cookbook by Bruce Aidells