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Browned bottom blade roasts |
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Cooked vegetables till just softened |
Recipe adapted from America's Test Kitchen
Italian Pot Roast
1 boneless beef chuc-eye roast (3 1/2 - 4 pounds) tied (I used a 2 pc bottom blade roast)
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 rib celery, chopped
1 pound white mushrooms
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes ( I used a large can 796ml of diced tomatoes and omitted the tomato sauce)
1/2 cup tomato sauce
2 tsp sugar
1/2 cup water ( I used chicken stock from my chicken rice instead)
1 cup red wine
1 large head of garlic (take off the papery skin and half it)
1 spring fresh thyme
1 sprig fresh rosemary
- Season roast with salt a day before if you have time and then some pepper just before cooking. If you don't have time, just before cooking, pat dry and season with salt and pepper.
- Heat oven to 300F and adjust rack to the middle.
- Heat oil in dutch oven over medium-high heat until just smoking. Brown roasts on all sides, about 2 -3 minutes a side. Transfer roasts to a plate.
- Reduce heat to medium and cook onion, celery, mushrooms and tomato paste until vegetables begin to soften, about 8 min.
- Add whole can of diced tomatoes, tomato sauce (I omitted this), sugar, water or chicken stock, 1/2 cup wine, garlic and thyme. Add the roasts back to the pot and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat.
- Place foil over pot, cover with lid and transfer to the oven.
- Cook about 21/2-31/2 hours till fork tender. Flip roast after an hour.
- Uncover pot and let it rest for 20min.
- Remove the garlic heads and skim fat. Allow to rest another 10min.
- Transfer roast to carving board and tent with foil.
- Add the remaining 1/2 cup of wine to the pot and bring to boil over medium high heat and cook till the sauce thickens - about 12min.
- Squeeze the garlic from halves and mash into paste.
- Add rosemary to pot and simmer till fragrant, about 2 min.
- Remove rosemary and thyme sprigs, stir in mashed garlic and season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Remove twine from roast and cut meat against grain into 1/2 inch slices or pull apart into large pieces.
- Serve as is or with pasta.