The Last (Pot Roast) Supper

While grocery shopping a few weeks ago I noticed that the local Harris Teeter was having a pretty big sale on meat and decided I should stock up while the getting was good.  I came home with a 3 lb chuck roast and threw it in the freezer until this weekend when I decided the time had come for the last pot roast of the season.  The official start of spring is less than two weeks away, and while I love me some hearty comfort food during the winter, come warmer weather I start longing for fresh produce and lighter fare. 

Fortunately we bid a fond farewell to comfort food season in style with the ultimate pot roast recipe.  It starts out like any other pot roast—seared beef, sautéed onions and garlic braised in a mixture of beef broth and red wine. Pretty standard, right? You add some dried porcini mushrooms to the braising liquid and cook low and slow for about three hours. What makes this pot roast so completely awesome is what happens AFTER you remove the beef…you blend up everything left in the pot and it makes the most awesome gravy you’ve ever tasted. Seriously. SO.GOOD.

 Giving the meat a good sear...

2.5 hours later

Usually I serve this magnificent dish with roasted root vegetables (carrots, potatoes, butternut squash, etc) but since this is the last pot roast of the season I decided to go all out and make some roasted garlic mashed potatoes (aka another vehicle for eating the gravy).  Not a very healthy (or pretty) meal, but a darn good one. Just like comfort food should be.

Pot Roast with Porcini Mushrooms
Adapted from Giada di Laurentiis

Ingredients:
1 (3-5 lb) boneless beef chuck roast—size will depend on how many people you want to feed!
Salt and pepper
2 TBL olive oil
2 white or yellow onions, chopped
6 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
1 cup dry red wine
1 ¾ cups beef broth (I used 1 14 oz can of low sodium and that was perfect!)
½ ounce dried porcini mushrooms
1 large sprig of fresh rosemary

1.Preheat oven to 350. Pat beef dry and season generously with salt and pepper. Heat olive oil in a heavy pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Sear beef on each side (about 2 minutes per side). A piece of advice: don’t wear something nice as you are likely to get oil splattered on you during this step. Transfer beef to a plate.
2.Reduce heat to medium. Add the onions to the same pot and sauté until tender about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté for 1 minute. Add the wine and scrape, scrape, scrape to get all the brown bits off the bottom of the pan. Boil wine for 1 minute and stir in broth and mushrooms. Return beef to the pan and bring liquids to a boil. Cover the pot and transfer to the oven.
3.Braise beef until fork-tender, about 2.5-3 hours. Turn the beef over halfway through and add the rosemary.
4.Transfer beef to a cutting board. Tent with foil and let stand for 15 minutes.  In the meantime, remove the woody rosemary stem (leaving as many of the leaves as possible in the juices). Puree the juices and vegetables until smooth either using a regular blender or an immersion blender. Season the sauce with salt and pepper to taste.
5.Slice the beef across the grain and spoon the gravy (I recommend in copious amounts) on top.

Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes:
To roast the garlic, cut the top of a head of garlic and sit on a piece of foil. Drizzle with olive oil and wrap up tight. Place in a 400 degree oven for 30 minutes or until cloves are soft. Wash and peel 4-5 Yukon gold potatoes. Cut into chunks (I do quarters or eighths depending on the size) and place in large saucepan. Cover with water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about 20 minutes or until fork tender. Drain and place in a bowl. Heat 1 cup of milk with 1 TBL of butter and pour over potatoes. Add 5-6 roasted garlic cloves. Mix until fluffy.