Pot Roast with Rosemary Potatoes

In cold weather, there’s nothing I enjoy more than preparing classic comfort food. Well – I guess there is one thing that I enjoy more – eating it! I don’t know how the weather has been in your neck of the woods, but here in New Orleans it has been cold and rainy. The perfect weather for a pot roast.

This pot roast recipe us from Giada De Laurentiis, only her recipe includes red wine and I didn’t have any one hand so I left it out. I would recommend including the wine if you have it because it will only add more depth of flavor and moisture to the meat. But with or without it the recipe is rich, hearty, and budget-friendly. I also left out the porcini mushrooms but they would make a nice addition. It takes some time but the good news it that your oven does the majority of the work. After 3 hours, you have a tender, flavorful roast that flakes apart and melts in your mouth.

As a side, I used some pantry staples and roasted some Rosemary Idaho potatoes. Since rosemary is such a hearty herb that holds up in cold weather, I cook with it frequently during the winter.

My boyfriend had a great idea of taking the drippings from the meat and turning it into a thick gravy by putting it in the food processor. I’d never done this before but it’s a quick and easy way to make gravy and made for a decadent sauce to smother the meat and potatoes in.

We added steamed artichokes to create a complete, comforting winter meal.

Recipes Follow:

Pot Roast (Serves 4)

• 1 (5-pound) boneless beef chuck roast
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup olive oil, divided
• 2 onions, chopped
• 6 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 cup red wine, such as cabernet sauvignon or pinot noir
• 1/2 ounce dried porcini mushrooms
• 1 (15-ounce) can low-sodium beef broth, plus extra, as needed
• 1 large sprig fresh rosemary, leaves removed and chopped
• 6 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves removed and chopped

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Pat the beef dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. In a heavy 6-quart pot or Dutch oven, heat 2 tablespoons of oil over medium-high heat. Add the beef and cook until browned on all sides, about 12 minutes. Remove the beef and set aside.

Reduce the heat to medium. Add the remaining oil and the onions. Cook, stirring frequently, until tender, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute until aromatic. Add the wine and scrape up the brown bits that cling to the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Stir in the broth and mushrooms. Return the beef to the pot and bring the liquid to a boil. Cover the pot and transfer to the oven. Cook until the beef is fork-tender, about 3 hours, turning the beef over halfway through and adding more beef broth, as needed.

Let beef stand for 10 minutes and cut on cutting board.

For the Gravy

Strain the drippings from the remains in the dutch oven and place in a food processor. Pulse until dripping reach the consistency of thick gravy.

Rosemary Potatoes (Serves 4)

• 5 Idaho Potatoes
• 3 Tbsp Olive Oil
• 2 Tbsp fresh chopped rosemary
• 1 Tsp Salt
• 1 Tsp Pepper

Preheat over to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil. Chop the potatoes into even bite-size cubes. Coat evenly. with olive oil, rosemary, salt and pepper. Bake for 15 min or until golden brown.