Sometimes, on a rainy weekend afternoon, I sit and ponder Life's Great Questions. For me, these include such important matters as:
Why won't my toddler nap?
Where did the Tar Heels' offense go?
Will I ever master the art of washing, drying, folding and putting away clothes all in the same day?
And most importantly:
What's for dinner?
Answers to the first three seem to elude me. But here's an excellent answer to the last: Ina Garten's pot roast. This is the perfect meal to make on a Sunday afternoon so that it can feed you Monday evening as well. Recipe follows, with my notes included.
Ingredients
1 (4 to 5-pound) prime boneless beef chuck roast, tied
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
All-purpose flour
Good olive oil
2 cups chopped carrots (4 carrots)
2 cups chopped yellow onions (2 onions)
2 cups chopped celery (4 stalks)
2 cups chopped leeks, white and light green parts (2 to 4 leeks) (Note: Leeks are so high maintenance with all that bothersome sand embedded in them. I substitute an extra onion)
5 large garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
2 cups good red wine, such as Burgundy (Confession: I only use 1.5 cups of wine, because I want enough left to drink!)
2 tablespoons Cognac or brandy
1 (28-ounce) can whole plum tomatoes in puree
1 cup chicken stock, preferably homemade
1 chicken bouillon cube
3 branches fresh thyme
2 branches fresh rosemary
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, at room temperature
Directions
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
Pat the beef dry with a paper towel. Season the roast all over with 1 tablespoon salt and 1 1/2 teaspoons pepper. Dredge the whole roast in flour, including the ends. In a large Dutch oven, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Add the roast and sear for 4 to 5 minutes, until nicely browned. Turn and sear the other side and then turn and sear the ends. This should take 4 to 5 minutes for each side. Remove the roast to a large plate.
Add 2 tablespoons olive oil to the Dutch oven. Add the carrots, onions, celery, leeks, garlic, 1 tablespoon salt, and 1 1/2 teaspoons pepper and cook over medium heat for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender but not browned. Add the wine and Cognac and bring to a boil. Add the tomatoes, chicken stock, bouillon cube, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper. Tie the thyme and rosemary together with kitchen string and add to the pot. Put the roast back into the pot, bring to a boil, and cover. Place in the oven for 2 1/2 hours, until the meat is fork tender or about 160 degrees F internally. Turn the heat down to 250 degrees F after about an hour to keep the sauce at a simmer.
Remove the roast to a cutting board. Remove the herb bundle and discard. Skim off as much fat as possible from the sauce. Transfer half the sauce and vegetables to a blender or a food processor fitted with the steel blade and puree until smooth. (This is where Ina and I part ways. I actually use my immersion blender to blend for just a minute. So much easier than putting part of the sauce in the blender!) Pour the puree back into the pot, place on the stovetop over low heat, and return the sauce to a simmer. Place 2 tablespoons flour and the butter in a small bowl and mash them together with a fork. Stir into the sauce and simmer for 2 minutes, stirring until thickened. Taste for seasonings.
On Sunday night, serve the roast sliced with sauce spooned over it, with a side of crusty bread and a salad. After dinner that night, take a few minutes to cut the remainder of the roast into bite sized pieces, save the remaining sauce in a separate container, and make a pot of brown rice. Throw it all in the fridge. Then on Monday, warm up the roast and sauce on the stove, heat up the rice in the microwave, and serve the roast and sauce over the rice. Dinner ready in less than 10 minutes!
Happy eating!
