Barefoot Contessa Company Pot Roast Recipe

Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics | Clarkson Potter, 2008

Most pot roast recipes recommend that you strain the vegetables to make the sauce, which makes it too thin for my taste. If you don’t strain the vegetables, though, the sauce is too chunky. I got the best of both worlds by puréeing half the sauce and pouring it back into the pot with the chunky half.

This recipe makes a lot of sauce, but if there are leftovers, it’s delicious the next day on pasta. A splash of red wine in the pot before serving gives the sauce a nice edge.–Ina Garten

Hands-On Time: 1 hour, 15 minutes | Total Time: 3 hours, 45 minutes | Serves 8

Want it? Click it.

Ingredients

One (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 yellow onions (2 onions)
2 cups chopped celery (4 stalks)
2 cups chopped leeks, white and light green parts (2 to 4 leeks)
5 large garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
2 cups good red wine, such as Burgundy
2 tablespoons Cognac or brandy
One 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

1. Preheat the oven to 325°F (160°C).
2. 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.
3. 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 an hour. Turn the heat down to 250°F (120°C) to keep the sauce at a gentle simmer. Roast for a total of 2 1/2 hours, until the meat is fork tender or about 160°F (71°C) internally.
4. Transfer the roast to a cutting board. Remove the herb bundle and discard. Skim off as much fat as possible from the sauce.
5. Transfer half the sauce and vegetables to a blender or a food processor fitted with the steel blade and puree until smooth.
6. Pour the puree back into the pot, place on the stove top 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.
7. Remove the strings from the roast, and slice the meat. Serve warm with the sauce spooned over it.

Hungry for more? Chow down on these:

Manzo all Panna (Beef Roast with Parmigiano and Cream) from Bell' Alimento
Garam Masala Roast Beef and Spiced Pumpkin from Fig and Cherry
Portuguese Stewed Beef from the Island of Pico from Leite's Culinaria
Prime Rib Roast with Orange-Glazed Onions from Leite's Culinaria