This Barefoot Contessa company pot roast takes an inexpensive beef chuck roast, a bottle of red wine, a little brandy, carrots, onions, celery, leeks, and tomatoes and transforms them into a meal worthy of a dinner party. And leftovers to last the week.
Company Pot Roast
Servings 8
Equipment
- Dutch Oven
Ingredients
- 1 4- to 5-pound prime boneless beef chuck roast, tied You can double everything if you are feeding an army.
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- All-purpose flour
- Good olive oil
- 2 cups chopped carrots 4 carrots – I use baby 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) Wash Well!
- 5 large garlic cloves peeled and crushed
- 2 cups good red wine such as Burgundy ( I used Pinot Noir)
- 2 tablespoons Cognac or brandy I use Courvoisier
- 1 28-ounce can whole plum tomatoes in purée Or Tomato Puree & Crushed Tomatoes – Combined.
- 1 bag Baby Yellow/Gold Potatoes
- 1 bag Baby Red Potatoes
- 1 quart Sliced Fresh Mushrooms
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 1 chicken bouillon cube
- 3 branches fresh thyme
- 2 branches fresh rosemary
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
- Pat the beef dry with a paper towel. Season the roast all over with 1 tablespoon salt and 1½ 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 1½ 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, potatoes, 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 2½ hours, until the meat is fork tender or about 160 degrees internally. Turn the heat down to 250 degrees 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 purée until smooth. Pour the purée 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. Remove the strings from the roast, and slice the meat. Serve warm with the sauce spooned over it.
