Seasond to perfection and cooked slowly, the old-fashioned way, this succulent, flavorful pot roast tastes even better the next day.
From Cooking with the Blues
- One 5-pound boneless beef chuck roast, trimmed of fat and tied
- Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
- All-purpose flour for dusting, plus ¼ cup
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 onions, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 4 carrots, peeled and chopped
- 2 celery stalks, chopped
- 2 cups dry red wine
- 4-5 fresh tomatoes, chopped, or one 28-ounce can whole tomatoes
- 2 bay leaves
Sprinkle the meat with salt and pepper and dust with flour. In a Dutch oven or flameproof casserole, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat and brown the meat on all sides. Remove the meat and set aside. Stir in the onions, garlic, carrots, and celery and sauté until browned, about 3 minutes. Return the meat to the pan, and add the wine, tomatoes, by leaves and enough water to cover the meat. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover, and cook for 3 hours, or until the meat is very tender.
Transfer the meat to a plate and cover loosely with aluminum foil. Skim any fat from the liquid in the pot. In a small bowl, mix ¼ cup flour with ½ cup water to make a smooth paste. Return the pot to high heat and gradually whisk in the flour paste. Cook, stirring constantly, for 5 minutes, or until thickened. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
Cut the meat into thick slices and arrange a few slices on each plate. Pour some of the gravy over and serve at once. Makes 8 servings
Cook’s Tips
Other boneless roasts can be used for pot roasts, such as chuck roast, round roast, and sirloin roast. Chuck roast is tender and has great flavor; round roast is drier and less tender; sirloin roast is lean, a little more bland, and a little tougher. An easy way to thicken the gravy without adding any flour, is to purée some of the vegetables with a little of the pan liquid.