When Life Gives You a Winter that Won't End - Make a Pot Roast (Low and Slow Italian Pot Roast)

We kicked off Spring with a World Team Tennis Tournament Friday night.  With temps in the mid 60s and the sun still shining at 6 o'clock in the evening, it was a perfect evening to shake off the winter cobwebs.  As I heading to my first game, my friend Laura noted how much she enjoys this blog and I promised her to post this weekend.  

The weather man promised nice warm temps, so

Italian influenced pot roast with
orange fennel carrots and
brown/wild rice

I figured that I’d be cooking up something light, filled with springtime veggies and maybe some fish…. Then after a glorious day yesterday the weather took a nasty turn.  Chilly, rainy, gray… a perfect day for a Sunday pot roast!

A wonderful California red
from our favorite winery builds
the sauce and accompanies
the roast; plus cute little
oranges to saute with
carrots and fennel seeds

We love slow braising all kinds of meat and poultry, but a good pot roast is such a comfort food.  I keep things simple and use what’s in the house to fill the pot with whatever flavors float my boat.  Today, we took a bit of an Italian bent with red wine, stewed tomatoes, oregano and fennel seeds.  I made some brown and wild rice, and sautéed up some carrots with orange segments and fennel seeds to serve on the side; and called it a day.

I like to flip the roast at the 1/2 way mark.  After 90 minutes
the sauce is starting to form.  And the house smells AMAZING

Ingredients

• 3 - 5  lb roast of beef.  Ask your butcher what is best that day for a slow braise. 
• 14.5 oz can stewed tomatoes. (I like Del Monte California Style – of course - with basil, garlic and oregano.)
• About ¾ to a cup of good red wine – today I went with a Rancho Sisquoc Tre Vini, which is 55 Sauvignon, 25% Petit Verdot and 20% Syrah.  Yum.  You can use any good dry red… we just happen to love this vineyard in Central California and look forward to enjoying it with the roast tonight.
• Enough chicken broth to bring the liquid up to just under ¾ of the way up the roast. Resist the temptation to submerge the mean.  Flip it half way instead.
• Large onion sliced
• 5 large cloves of garlic, peeled and smashed (use the side of a chef’s knife to do this)
• A scant palm full Dried oregano (yes, dried…. I love fresh oregano and grow some every spring/summer.  But dried works best for a slow braise.)
• Teaspoon of fennel seeds
• Olive oil to lightly coat the pan two times - once when you brown the meat and again when you saute the onions.
• Kosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper

Method

• Preheat the oven to 350
• Liberally season all sides of the roast with kosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper.  Set aside.
• Heat a medium sized Dutch oven until very hot and add enough olive oil to lightly coat the bottom.  Now over a medium to high heat, sear the roast on all sides.  You need to be patient.  Set the roast down and don’t move it until it has a good crust; then turn and repeat the process until you have browned the entire roast.
• Remove the roast from the pan; and set on a plate.  Turn off the flame and gently wipe out any fat from the bottom of the pan, leaving any brown bits. 
• Now turn up the flame to medium, add a tad bit more oil, the onion, a healthy pinch of salt and a few grinds of pepper, plus the oregano, and cook the onion slices until they are just starting to become soft.
• Next come the liquids:  Pour about a quarter cup of the wine into the pan and scrape the brown bits with a wooden spoon.  Then add the rest of the wine, the stewed tomatoes and their juices, the garlic, and enough chicken broth to bring the level of the liquid to about ¾ of the way up the roast. 
• Raise the heat to bring the liquid to a boil.  When it is bubbling, turn off the heat, put the lid on the pot.
• Now pour yourself a glass of the red wine, place the roast into the 350-degree oven for 3 hours, checking to turn the roast and add liquid if necessary at the half way mark.  Watch golf while drinking the wine.
• Once the roast is done, remove it from the pot and cover it lightly with foil to keep it warm while you make the sauce.
• To make the sauce, reduce the liquid on a medium high heat for about 5 minutes, then use a stick blender to blend the tomatoes, onions, garlic and liquid into a velvety gravy.  There's no need for flour or any other thickener.
• To serve, slice the meat, add a little sauce and dig in.  Note: this is even better the next day.  And if your meat is quite lean, you might want to reduce the cooking time a tad.