Pot Roast.

The very words comfort, don’t they?

I’ll say it again, Pot Roast.

Ahhh.

When I was growing up, roast was reserved as a “Sunday Dinner” type of thing. My mom would put one in the oven before heading off to church. I would think of it many times between sermons. Many, many times. In fact, I thought of little else. I knew that when we would return home, we would be greeted with the aroma of, well….love.

My mom’s cooking skills were limited, but she did her best. I don’t remember her ever using a chuck roast. I’m pretty sure she based her roast purchases on price and not on cut. I remember her using a bottom round. She never browned it first, she would just cut up potatoes, carrots & onions, then sprinkle on the contents of an onion soup packet, wrap it in tin foil and call it a day. That was her best. J

We would come home and it smelled SOOOOOOOO good and every once in a while it really was good. I think she lucked on occasion bought a chuck roast on accident.

Well, we have a brand new product here at Zaycon Foods. Beef Chuck Roast. And all the love is back.

Chuck roast is probably one of the most flavorful, tender cuts of beef that you can get your hands on, but it needs to be cooked low and slow. Good things come to those who wait.

Let’s get a-roasting.

1 Zaycon Beef Chuck Roast
Salt & freshly cracked pepper
2 tablespoons oil
Large onion, diced
1-2 tablespoons tomato paste (optional)
1 tsp sugar (optional)
3 cups beef stock
2 sprigs rosemary
3-4 sprigs thyme
1-2 pounds carrots cut into 3” pieces
2 onions, wedged
1-2 pounds new potatoes
3 tablespoons or so cornstarch mixed with COLD water

Set the oven at 300.

Begin with a large covered roasting pan, I prefer an enameled cast iron one.

Generously salt and pepper both sides of the roast. Go ahead and season the sides too. We’re headed to flavor country.

Heat your pan over medium heat, then oil.

Brown both sides of the meat. Place the roast in the hot pan and don’t touch it for 4 to 4.5 minutes. Don’t touch it. I know you’ll be tempted, but if you wait, you will be richly rewarded. If you have the patience, brown the sides too. If you’re under time constraints you can skip it, but you’ve come this far, see it through.

After you’ve browned the roast, remove it to a pan and add the diced onion and if you need a little more oil in the pan go ahead and add a couple of teaspoons or so. Your goal here is to caramelize these as dark as you can. Again, if you’re short on time, add a teaspoon of sugar. This will speed up the process. I also like to add a tablespoon or two of tomato paste. This will give your finished sauce a deeper color and body, but the flavor doesn’t change enough to make it mandatory.

You know how delicious French onion soup is? We’re kind of lending a similar flavor here. Caramelize them dark, but not burnt. Add your stock at this point which will deglaze your pan. Stir up that flavor, then replace the roast.
Add the rosemary and the thyme. If you’re feeling fancy, make a bouquet garni, but I just toss them in.

Into the oven it goes. 300 for oh, about three hours. Unlike some recipes, this is not a science.

After three hours, carefully remove the roast from the pan, and send the juices through a strainer to remove the stems and the diced onion which is now just entirely spent. Replace the roast, and add your veggies. I like to use new potatoes, onions cut into chunks, carrots that aren’t too thick. They’ll all need another 45 minutes or so.

After everything is finished, remove roast to serving platter, plate your veggies, and then thicken the pan juices with either a cornstarch/water mixture (very forgiving) or thickener of your choice. Check your seasoning of the gravy.

“Fall-apart tender” and “succulent” don’t begin to describe this. In the movie Contact, Dr. Ellie Arroway said “should have sent a poet”. She should try this roast.

Feel the love.

Matt H.