Italian-style Pot Roast

September 23, 10:09 AMDenver Food ExaminerAndrea Spikes

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I made this on a Sunday afternoon and - despite having made this twice before - forgot that it really takes about 4 to 5 hours to complete. Not that it's such a complex recipe, but I have a bad habit of not reading all the way through one before I get started. That said, this pot roast is worth waiting for! It uses a braising technique that keeps the meat moist while slowly cooking it. No more dried out beef jerky! Using both chicken and beef broths balances the flavor of the meat and veggies.

Plan on using a medium-bodied red wine such as an Italian Chianti or a French Chateauneuf du Pape. Serve with a salad, steamed green beans, roasted potatoes, roasted cauliflower or roasted butternut squash.

Recipe adapted from Cook's Illustrated Simple Pot Roast.

Italian-style Pot Roast
Serves 6 to 8

1 boneless chuck-eye roast (about 3.5 pounds)
   salt and ground black pepper
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
1 celery rib, chopped
10 ounces button mushrooms, cleaned and quartered
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 cup each chicken and beef broth
1 cup red wine
1 14 oz. can diced tomatoes with juice
1 to 1 1/2 cups water
1 sprig fresh thyme
1 sprig fresh rosemary (or 1/2 teaspoon dried, crushed)

1. Adjust oven rack to lower position and preheat oven to 300 degrees. Pat roast dry with paper towels and sprinkle generously on all sides with salt and pepper.

2. Heat oil in a large heavy-bottomed Dutch oven on medium-high heat until the oil is shimmering (not smoking). Brown the roast thoroughly on all sides (reduce heat if fat begins to smoke), 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer roast to a plate and set aside.

3. Reduce heat to medium, and add onion, carrot, celery and mushrooms. Stir occasionally until beginning to brown, 6 to 8 minutes. Add garlic and sugar; cook until fragrant, 30 seconds. Add broths, wine and thyme, scraping bottom of pan with wooden spoon to loosed up the browned bits.

4. Return roast and any accumulated juices to pot; add enough water to come halfway up the sides of the roast. Bring liquid to a simmer over medium-high heat. Place a sheet of foil over the pot and cover tightly with a lid (this creates a better seal than the lid alone); put the pot in the oven. Cook, turning roast every half hour, until fully tender and you can slip a sharp knife in and out of the roast easily, 3 1/2 to 4 hours.

5. Transfer roast to carving board, tenting with foil to keep warm. Let the liquid settle in the pot about 5 minutes, then use wide spoon to skim fat off surface;  add rosemary. Boil over high heat until reduced to 1 1/2 cups, then discard thyme and rosemeary sprigs. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

6. Cut meat into 1/2 inch slices, and serve topped with sauce and vegetables.