Decadent Braised Roast

There is nothing vegan about this meal. Couldn’t even give you a possible vegan version! So bow to the sacred cow, make sure it’s been fed with grass and allowed to roam, and thank it mightily for offering its life for our sustenance! :-)

This is my first attempt at braised meat, it was very fun to experiment and try this out. Fortunately, it was successful -- when Mike took his first bites I heard groans of pleasure from the kitchen.

I can’t take all the credit, though – I had an amazing mentor. To create this recipe, I read through several versions of Lidia Bastianich’s braised beef and then made up my own. (I highly recommend Lidia’s Italian cookbooks, by the way, she’s my hero.) A valuable thing that I learned is that she recommends using a pot that will tightly fit the roast on the sides because you need a lot of liquid to cover the roast; you’ll need even more if your pan is too big. I wrote down my liquid proportions for you, but the amount of wine and broth you use will vary depending on the size of your roast and the pan you use. This recipe is based on a 2.5 lb chuck shoulder roast and an enameled cast iron Le Creuset 3.5 Qt French Oven (I highly recommend this pot if you don’t have one).

Another Lydia recommendation: since the primary base for the sauce is wine, using a good tasting but not too expensive wine is the best. At Trader Joe’s, we purchased La Finca Cabernet Sauvignon (a whopping $3.99) and it was perfect.

Ingredients:

2.5 lb chuck shoulder roast

Sea salt

All-purpose flour for rubbing the roast

Olive oil

1 large red onion, chopped

4 medium carrots, chopped into quarters

2-3 tsp paprika

A few dashes of cinnamon

2-3 T tomato paste

3 fresh rosemary branches (5-6 inches long)

2 bay leaves

A little freshly grated nutmeg

Black pepper

2-3 tsp dried thyme

1 small chopped leek

1 ¾ bottles of red wine

4 cups vegetable stock

1 ½ cups chopped canned tomato

Pat the roast dry with a towel and rub with salt, then lightly coat with flour. Heat the oil in the pan, and brown the roast on all sides (approximately 2-3 minutes per side). Remove the roast onto a plate. Add the onions and a little salt to the pan. Sauté the onions until golden and mostly soft. Add carrots and leeks and sauté for just a few minutes. Add the cinnamon and paprika, stir to combine. Then push all the vegetables to one side and add the tomato paste right to the bottom of the pan, stirring to caramelize. You will notice the tomato paste will turn a darker red. Then stir to thoroughly combine the paste with the vegetables.

At that point, add the bay leaves, nutmeg, black pepper and dried thyme. Stir, then add the roast back into the pan. Add the rosemary branches (you can tie them together with kitchen twine for easier removal later). Pour in enough wine and vegetable stock, enough to completely cover the roast.

Bring to a boil uncovered, letting some of the alcohol burn off. Then simmer covered for one hour, and then uncovered for another hour. The sauce will reduce and create a thick, dark red, flavorful sauce (the leftovers are delicious on pasta). Of course adjust your cooking time for the size of your roast.

Remove the roast from the pan and slice. Remove the rosemary branches from the sauce. Pour the sauce on top and serve. The roast should be so soft it melts in your mouth. This is excellent fall and winter comfort food.