Italian Pot Roast
Welcome to another Monday. In the deep south Monday’s were wash day, so you always had red beans and rice which could be prepared the day before. We will post our favorite red beans and rice recipe later, but today we wanted a recipe that was easy to do, could be done in advance, and makes multiple meals, so we chose to do an Italian Pot Roast.
I love a recipe that can be prepped early. I personally do it early in the morning and put in the slow cooker for 10 hours, but you can just as easily do it in the oven in 4 hours. This recipe also makes great leftovers that can be repurposed into other fabulous meals. I freeze the sauce and pull it out at a later date for a great pasta sauce. The leftover meat works great for beef fajitas, Philly cheese steak sandwiches, etc. This roast has great flavor and is extremely tender.
Prepare 45 minutes
Cook 4-10 hours
Serves 6-8
1/4 cup all purpose flour
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 eye of round roast, about 4 lb
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons canola oil
6 oz (185) pancetta, finely chopped
2 carrots, finely chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 rib celery, thin slices
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 lb assorted fresh mushrooms, brushed clean, stems removed, and thinly sliced
2 cups hearty red wine, such as Chianti
1 cup beef broth
2 tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped ( I use canned diced)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
On a plate, stir together the flour, 1 teaspoon salt, and 112 teaspoon pepper. Turn
the roast in the seasoned flour, shaking off any excess. In a large frying pan over
medium-high heat, melt the butter with the canola oil. Add the roast and cook,
turning occasionally, until evenly browned on all sides, 5-7 minutes. Remove from
the pan and set aside.
Add the pancetta to the pan and saute over medium-high heat, until the fat is
rendered, about 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a paper towel plate
and set aside.
Pour off all but 1 tablespoon of the fat in the pan. Add the carrots, onion, and
celery and saute over medium-high heat until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the
garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the mushrooms, cover, and cook until they begin
to release their liquid, about 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium, uncover,
and cook, stirring frequently, until most of the liquid has evaporated, 10 minutes.
Pour in the wine and deglaze the pan, stirring and scraping up the browned bits
on the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Stir in the broth, tomatoes, and
rosemary and bring to a boil. Stir in the reserved pancetta and season with salt
and pepper.
Oven: Preheat the oven to 325 F (165 C) Transfer the roast to a large dutch oven . Pour in the wine and vegatable mixture. Cover and cook, turning occasionally, until roast is tender, about 4 hours.
Slowcooker: Transfer the roast to a slow cooker and pour in the wine and
vegetable mixture. Cover and cook, turning occasionally, until the roast is tender,
10 hours on the low-heat setting.
Transfer the roast to a cutting board and cover with aluminum foil to keep warm.
If the sauce is too thin, pour the cooking liquid into a saucepan, bring to a boil
over high heat and cook until it thickens slightly to a sauce consistency, about
10 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasonings with salt and pepper if necessary.
Using a sharp knife, cut the roast into thick slices. Arrange the slices on a warmed
platter or plates, top with the sauce, and serve at once.
